ABO and Rh Blood Group Distribution and its Relationship with Coagulation Factor VIII among Healthy Ghanaians
Abstract:
The ABO and Rh blood group systems play essential roles in transfusion medicine and have been implicated in the risk of thrombotic and hemorrhagic disorders through their influence on coagulation factors. This study assessed the distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups and their relationship with coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) levels in healthy Ghanaians. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 118 adults aged 18–60 years at three hospitals in Tema, Ghana. Blood groups were determined using standard agglutination methods, and FVIII antigen (FVIII:Ag) levels were measured using ELISA. Complete blood counts were analyzed to assess hematological parameters. The distribution of ABO groups was: O (28.0%), A (26.3%), B (24.6%), and AB (21.2%), with 90.7% of participants being Rh-positive. Mean FVIII:Ag levels did not significantly differ across ABO groups (p = 0.714), and no significant association was found with Rh status. Interestingly, group O individuals had the highest mean platelet volume (MPV), and a weak negative correlation was observed between FVIII:Ag and MPV (r = –0.205, p = 0.039). Age and sex showed no significant influence on FVIII:Ag levels. These findings suggest that while the ABO and Rh distributions in this Ghanaian cohort align with expected regional patterns, their impact on FVIII levels may be less pronounced compared to other populations. The novel observation of elevated MPV in group O individuals warrants further investigation. Understanding the interplay between blood groups and coagulation factors in African populations is essential for refining risk assessments for thrombotic and bleeding disorders.References:
[1]. Misevic, G. N., 2018, Blood groups and transfusion medicine. Transfusion Medicine Reviews, 32(2), 73–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmrv.2017.10.003
[2]. Okeke, E. N., & Iloka, N., 2020, Distribution of ABO and Rhesus blood groups in Nigeria. African Journal of Laboratory Medicine, 9(1), a1265. https://doi.org/10.4102/ajlm.v9i1.1265
[3]. Anstee, D. J., 2010, The relationship between blood groups and disease. Blood, 115(23), 4635–4643. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2010-01-261859
[4]. Ravn, V., & Dabelsteen, E., 2000, Tissue distribution of histo-blood group antigens. APMIS, 108(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0463.2000.d01-3.x
[5]. Azad, A., Akhter, Q., Islam, M., Mukta, F., Afroz, L., & Adnan, A., 2021, ABO blood groups and their relationship with coagulation factor VIII in healthy adults. Journal of Biosciences and Medicines, 9(9), 18–28. https://doi.org/10.4236/jbm.2021.99003
[6]. Pramanik, T., & Pramanik, S., 2000, Distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups in Nepalese students. Asian Journal of Transfusion Science, 4(1), 32–34. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-6247.59386
[7]. Jahanpour, F., et al., 2017, Blood group distribution and its association with various diseases: A study in Tanzania. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 11(2), EC01–EC04. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2017/24288.9341
[8]. Doku, G. N., Agbozo, W. K., Annor, R. A., Kisseh, G. D., & Owusu, M. A., 2019, Frequency of ABO/Rhesus (D) blood groupings and ethnic distribution in the Greater Accra region of Ghana, towards effective blood bank inventory. International Journal of Immunogenetics, 46(1), 41–45. https://doi.org/10.1111/iji.12430
[9]. Nkansah, C., Serwaa, D., Osei, F. B., & Owusu, R. A., 2019, Seroprevalence and trend of hepatitis among blood donors in a district hospital in Ghana: A nine-year retrospective study. Journal of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry, 40(7), 628–637. https://doi.org/10.1080/15321819.2019.1650570.
[10]. BA, D. M., et al., 2017, Association of blood groups with diseases. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 5(4), 1256–1260. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20171249
[11]. Abegaz, S. B., 2021, Blood group distribution and its association with diseases. Hematology Reports, 13(3), 805–812. https://doi.org/10.3390/hematolrep13030077.
[12]. Dean, L., 2005, Blood groups and red cell antigens. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
[13]. Franchini, M., Mannucci, P. M., & Lippi, G., 2007, The intriguing relationship between the ABO blood group, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. BMC Medicine, 5(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-5-1.
[14]. Centre for Science and Environment. 2019, Ghana Statistical Report. https://www.cseindia.org
[15]. Ghana Statistical Service. 2014, 2010 Population and Housing Census: District Analytical Report. Ghana Statistical Service.
[16]. Djibril, M. B., Mamadou, S. S., Diack, A., Dia, K., Mboup, C. M., Fall, D. P., & Fall, D. M., 2017, Cardiovascular disease and ABO blood groups in Africans: Are blood group A individuals at higher risk? A pilot study. The Egyptian Heart Journal, 69(4), 239–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehj.2017.04.001.
[17]. Rejtő, J., Königsbrügge, O., Grilz, E., Quehenberger, P., Gebhart, J., Ay, C., & Pabinger, I., 2020, Influence of blood group, von Willebrand factor levels, and age on factor VIII levels in non-severe hemophilia A. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 18(12), 3061–3070. https://doi.org/10.1111/jth.15099.
[18]. Albanez, S., Ogiwara, K., Michels, A., Hopman, W., Grabell, J., James, P., & Lillicrap, D., 2016, Aging and ABO blood type influence von Willebrand factor and factor VIII levels through non-linear, multivariate interactions. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 14(5), 953–963. https://doi.org/10.1111/jth.13293.
[19]. Matsui, T., Titani, K., & Mizuochi, T., 1992, Structures of the asparagine-linked oligosaccharide chains of human von Willebrand factor. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 267(12), 8723–8731. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9258(18)42461-6.
[20]. Kao, K. J., Pizzo, S. V., & McKee, P. A., 1980, The effect of human blood group antigens on the half-life of von Willebrand factor. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 66(5), 1370–1376. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI109964.
[21]. Jenkins, P. V., & O’Donnell, J. S., 2006, ABO blood group determines plasma von Willebrand factor levels: A biological function after all? Transfusion, 46(10), 1836–1844. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1537-2995.2006.00975.x.
[22]. Loganathan, S., Prasad, S., & Jayakumar, R., 2019, ABO blood group and factor VIII levels: No significant relationship. Indian Journal of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, 35(2), 247–251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12288-018-1045-6.
[23]. Song, J., Chen, F., Campos, M., Zhang, Y., Cao, H., Heiss, G., & Boerwinkle, E., 2015, Quantitative influence of ABO blood groups on factor VIII and its ratio to von Willebrand factor: Novel observations from an ARIC study of 11,673 subjects. PLOS ONE, 10(8), e0132626. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0132626.
