Blood Types and Severity of COVID-19

Aim: Since blood types first appeared, their association with diseases caused by microorganisms has been further investigated with several studies for many years. The bond of blood groups described as A, B, AB, and O with coronavirus has been the research subject in many countries.We aimed to elucidate whether there was a relationship between blood types and Rh factor and contracting COVID-19 disease and disease severity. Methods: The study was designed as a retrospective case-control study. Between March 2020 - February 2021, 1110 patients were included (538 cases, 572 controls). Disease severity was classified according to where patients were treated: those who were outpatients considered as “mild disease”, hospitalized in a hospital ward considered as “moderate disease”, and treated in the intensive care unit were considered as “severe disease”. Results: The number of people with blood type A was 447 (40.3%), blood type B was 197 (17.7%), blood type AB was 90 (%8), and blood type O was 376 (33.9%). There was no significant difference between the case and control groups according to the blood types. A 3.93 times increase of developing mild illness was detected compared to the control group in Rh-positive individuals. The rate of developing a severe disease was higher in females with blood type A than a mild disease, and A blood type caused the disease to be severe compared to other blood groups in females. Conclusion: We concluded that blood type A caused more severe disease than other blood types in females, and females with B blood type survived the disease as outpatients. Our study can shed light on pathophysiological investigation of the relationship between COVID-19 disease causing a pandemic with high mortality and virulence and blood types. Keywords: COVID-19 virus, blood group, disease

The Relationship Between Salivary Candida Albicans Colony Count and Blood Group Antigens in Dentistry Students

Background and Aims: Candida albicans is the most prevalent opportunistic fungal species in the oral cavity. To date, several studies have been investigated the various factors associated with oral candidiasis. On the other hand, it has been proven that blood types antigens lead to some infectious factors. This study aimed to evaluate Candida albicans colonies in the saliva of dentistry students based on their blood type to detect a relationship between blood group and incidence of oral candidiasis. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 200 dentistry students were selected by a simple sampling method, including 100 individuals with blood type O and 100 with other blood types. The unstimulated salivary samples of all the participants were collected by spitting, cultured on Sabouraud medium, and then the isolated Candida albicans colonies were enumerated and recorded. Results: In the present study, samples comprised 77 males and 123 females, of whom 15.5% (31 individuals) carried colony-forming units > 40. The mean of Candida albicans colonies in the individuals' saliva with blood type O was 21.55, and it was 10.68 in the other groups. Besides, the differences were statistically significant (p = 0.024). There was no significant difference in Candida albicans colony count between O positive and O negative blood groups. Conclusions: The result of this study showed a significant relationship between the number of Candida albicans colonies of saliva and the individual’s blood type.

Wild Felids Blood Group System

Wild felids and domestic cats share the AB blood group. However, there have been few studies regarding the characterization and prevalence of the different blood types in wild animals. The erythrocyte membrane glycolipids of the wild cats correspond to the major disialoganglioside patterns observed in domestic cats. Like in domestic cats, type A blood seems to be the most common, although wild felid species seem to exhibit one single blood type. Of the species studied, the wild domestic cats, and the Panthera and ocelot lineages, all had type A blood; the Puma lineage showed almost exclusively type B blood. The prevalence of wild felids blood types show that there seems to be variation between species, but not within species, and no evidence of geographical variation has yet been found, showing apparently no genetic variability. The presence of alloantibodies has also been demonstrated, so the risk of life-threatening transfusion reactions due to mismatched transfusions and neonatal isoerythrolysis is a possibility. Like in other species, the recognition of wild felids blood groups is clinically relevant, as it can also be important in establishing phylogenetic relationships within the Felidae family. We will review the current knowledge on this topic and give insights into the wild felids blood groups potential for zoo transfusion medicine and phylogenetic studies in order to help support reintroduction projects and to preserve genetic diversity.

Efficacy of Individualized Preventive Treatment of Patients with Severe Hemophilia A Guided by Multiple Clinical Parameters and Pharmacokinetics

Objective: To investigate the effect of multiple clinical parameters (age, weight, blood types, and bleeding types) on FⅧ pharmacokinetic parameters (PK parameters) in adult patients with severe hemophilia A (SHA), draw up individualized preventive treatment plans, and observe clinical efficacy and economic benefit. Methods: Forty SHA patients treated in our hospital from January 2018 to May 2019 were enrolled, with their age, weight, blood types, bleeding types, and PK parameters measured to analyze the effects of clinical parameters on PK parameters. Individualized preventive treatment was developed, and patients were followed up for 1 year. The annual bleeding times (ABR), annual joint bleeding times (AJBR), and annual FⅧ dosage were observed and compared before and after treatment. Results: Weight, blood types and bleeding types could affect the PK parameters of FVIII. A prevention plan was formulated under the guidance of FVIII half-life. After 1 year of follow-up, ABR decreased by 88.9%, AJBR decreased by 90%, and annual FⅧ dosage increased by 47%. The dosage of FⅧ in 8 patients after was less than that before prevention, and the average half-life time of these 8 patients was 13.32 h. Conclusions: 1. Weight, blood types, and bleeding types of adult SHA patients could affect FVIII half-life. As body mass index increased, FVIII half-life were significantly prolonged. The FVIII half-life of patients with type O blood were significantly shorter than those with other blood types, and the FVIII half-life of knee joint bleeding were conspicuously shorter than those of elbow joint bleeding. 2. Individualized preventive treatment could markedly reduce bleeding times. For patients with a long half-life period, the total annual FⅧ dosage could be reduced to achieve bleeding prevention and economic benefit.

Association of ABO Blood Type with Bleeding Severity in Patients with Acute Gastroesophageal Variceal Bleeding

Background and Objectives: ABO blood types have been implicated as potential risk factors for various hemorrhagic diseases. No study has investigated the association between gastroesophageal variceal bleeding and ABO blood types. We aimed to evaluate the impact of ABO blood types on mortality and bleeding risk in acute gastroesophageal variceal bleeding. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective observational study. Patients presenting with acute gastroesophageal varices bleeding diagnosed by endoscopy were enrolled, and were divided by blood type into a type O group and non-type O group. The outcomes were death within 30 days and the proportion of further bleeding. We used generalized linear mixed-effects models to analyze the outcomes. Results: A total of 327 patients and 648 records of emergency room visits were included. The 30-day mortality was 14.8% (21 of 142 patients) in the type O group, and 16.2% (30 of 185 patients) in the non-type O group (p = 0.532). Further bleeding within 30 days occurred in 34 cases (12.6%) in the type O group, and in 26 cases (6.9%) in the non-type O group (p = 0.539). Conclusions: There was no significant difference in blood transfusion volume in 24 h, recurrent bleeding rates, or mortality between patients with blood type O and those with non-type O.

Association of ABO Blood Grouping and Periodontal Disease: A Literature Review

Although the correlation between the ABO blood group and certain systematic diseases is a well-documented fact. Few studies have explored the relationship of ABO with oral disorders including periodontal diseases (PD). This literature review aimed to assess the possible association between ABO blood grouping and PD. For this purpose, we searched online databases like PubMed and google scholar with the following terms in different combinations PD, ABO blood groups, gingivitis, the prevalence of periodontitis, aggressive periodontitis, risk factors of periodontitis, Association of PD and ABO, ABO Rh factor. English version papers describing the Oral health status are covered through research that includes clinical investigations, case studies, and retrospective studies on the subject. Historic reviews, articles with unpublished data, and letters to the editors were omitted from the survey following publications. The author thoroughly checked the titles and abstracts of the papers. The complete text was thoroughly assessed, and the relevant articles were analyzed in accordance with qualifying criteria. For further original and review research, references were further reviewed. Since our targeted subject was answered by a restricted number of original research. We identified fourteen articles describing the association of ABO blood types with PD. findings of our study concluded the genetic basis of the association of ABO blood types for the development of PD. six of the research provided here showed that the blood type O can serve as a prognostic factor for the development of PD. ABO blood types and Rhesus factors can be a risk predictors in the development of PD.

GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THE HOLSTEIN CATTLE POPULATION IN THE YAROSLAVL REGION

В работе представлена генетическая структура популяции крупного рогатого скота голштинской породы 9-ти племенных хозяйств Ярославской области, основанная на иммуногенетических показателях групп крови по EAB-локусу. Было проанализировано 6343 головы крупного рогатого скота и выявлено 78 аллельных вариантов. Генотипирование животных по генетическим маркерам позволяет оценить динамику генетических процессов в породе и отдельных стадах. На основании расчета частот аллельных вариантов проведена клатеризация хозяйств методом k-means для выявления генетически близких групп. Популяция голштинской породы разделилась на несколько кластеров, имеющих различное генетическое происхождение и отличающихся уникальными аллельными вариантами групп крови. Доли дисперсии, объясняемые главными компонентами, имеют значения от 0,14 до 0,22, что свидетельствует о высокой степени отражения главными компонентами реальной дисперсии частот. Мера информационного полиморфизма (PIC) для всех хозяйств находится на уровне 0,022—0,024, что говорит о невысокой дискриминационной способности данного маркера. Разброс показателей среднего на локус индекса информации Шенона (I) составил 0,031±0,001—0,039±0,001 и генного разнообразия (Ht) — 0,022±0,005—0,024±0,005, что свидетельствует о более высоком селекционном потенциале животных отдельных хозяйств и об уменьшении вероятности внутрипородного инбридинга. Представленные методы анализа данных и параметры генетического разнообразия позволяют выявить группы скота внутри популяции и оценить его генный потенциал. Это даст возможность судить о генетических процессах, происходящих в стадах, и рекомендовать представленные методы для оценки эффективности и направленности селекционного процесса. The article presents the genetic structure of Holstein cattle population of 9 breeding farms in the Yaroslavl region, based on the immunogenetic parameters of blood types at the EAB-loci. 6343 heads of cattle and 78 allelic variants were analyzed and identified. Genotyping of animals by genetic markers makes it possible to assess the dynamics of genetic processes in the breed and individual herds. Based on the frequency calculations of allelic variants, we carried out the clustering of farms by the k-means method to identify genetically similar groups. The population of the Holstein cattle was divided into several clusters with different genetic origins and differing in unique allelic variants of blood types. The proportions of dispersion explained by the principal components have values from 0.14 to 0.22, which indicates a high degree of reflection by the principal components of the real frequency dispersion. The measure of information polymorphism (PIC) for all farms is at the level of 0.022—0.024, which indicates a low discriminatory ability of this marker. The scatter of the indices of the average per locus of the Shannon information index (I) was 0.031 ± 0.001—0.039 ± 0.001 and of genetic diversity (Ht) — 0.022 ± 0.005-0.024 ± 0.005, this indicates a higher breeding potential of animals on individual farms and a decrease in the probability of inbreeding. The presented methods of data analysis and parameters of genetic diversity make it possible to identify groups of livestock within a population and assess its genetic potential. This will make it possible to judge the genetic processes occurring in herds, and to recommend the presented methods for assessing the performance and direction of the breeding process.

Molecular red cell genotyping of rare blood donors in South Africa to enhance rare donor-patient blood matching

Background: Molecular red cell genotyping is devoid of serology limitations such as the scarcity of rare antisera and the possibility of inconclusive results due to biological interferences. Blood incompatibility can result in immune transfusion reactions such as haemolytic transfusion reactions or haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn.Objective: The study aimed to use molecular red cell genotyping to identify rare blood group donors among South African blood donors.Methods: Red cell genotyping data were extracted retrospectively from the BIDS XT genotyping software in the Immunohaematology Reference Laboratory from January 2015 to August 2016. The ID CORE XT genotyping assay was used to identify the single nucleotide polymorphisms of 10 blood groups system alleles in 150 donors. Associations between the resultant genotypes and predicted phenotypes, ABO group, RhD type, race group and gender were studied.Results: Significant red cell genetic variability was noted among the numerous South African donor genotypes identified in this study. Genotyping further confirmed the presence of at least one of the 16 rare genotypes in 50 donors. Group O Black donors were associated with two rare blood types, while several other rare blood types were found only in White donors, supporting an association between ABO/Rh subtype, race group and rare blood types.Conclusion: Targeted screening of donors for antigen-negative rare blood units for patients should be done to reduce the risk of haemolytic transfusion reactions and haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn.