ABO-blood-group types and protection against severe,Plasmodium falciparummalaria

Abstract

Although the ABO blood group of the human host has been reported to influence malarial infection, there have been few clinical observations on this effect. A hospital-based, comparative study was therefore performed to investigate the relationship between blood-group type and severe disease i nPlasmodium falciparum malaria. Overall, 243 cases of malaria (163 uncomplicated and 80 severe) and 65 patients with severe, non-malarial infections were studied. In terms of ABO-blood-group composition, the patients with severe malaria were significantly different from the patients with the uncomplicated disease (P<0.001) and also from a population control described previously (P<0.0001). The patients with uncomplicated malaria or severe but non-malarial disease were, however, similar to the population control. The cases of severe malaria were significantly less likely to be of blood group O (P=0.0003), and significantly more likely to be of group AB (P<0.0001), than the patients with nonsevere malaria. It appears that individuals who are of blood-group O are relatively resistant to the severe disease caused by P. falciparum infection.

Association of high plasma TNF-alpha levels and TNF-alpha/IL-10 ratios with TNF2 allele in severeP. falciparummalaria patients in Sri Lanka

“…18,[23][24][25] Of the P. falciparuminfected patients admitted to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in Colombo, the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for children in Colombo, and the General Hospital of Anuradhapura in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka over a 3-year period, 24 145 patients were selected for this study on plasma cytokine levels. Clinical categorization was performed according to the criteria described by Warrell et al 26 The inclusion and exclusion criteria described in Pathirana et al…”

Blood group O protects against severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria through the mechanism of reduced rosetting

“…16). The effect of the ABO blood group on severe falciparum malaria has received little attention, although previous studies have suggested that in African children, blood group A may predispose to severe malaria (17,18), and in Southeast Asian adults, blood group O may confer resistance to the multiorgan failure form of severe disease (19). A rigorous study of the effect of ABO blood group on susceptibility to severe malaria using a matched case-control design with adjustment for known host protective factors such as hemoglobin variants has not been performed (20).…”

“…A rigorous study of the effect of ABO blood group on susceptibility to severe malaria using a matched case-control design with adjustment for known host protective factors such as hemoglobin variants has not been performed (20). The possibility of a rosette-mediated protective effect of blood group O has been raised previously (17)(18)(19)(20)(21); however, the effects of ABO blood group on rosetting and susceptibility to severe malaria have not yet been examined in a single study. We therefore investigated the effect of ABO blood group on rosetting and malaria severity in a casecontrol study of African children.…”

Association of ABO Blood Group and Malaria Parasitic Infection in Eiedbabkier, Sudan

“…[10,11] Furthermore, Migot-Nabias and thirana et al observed low parasitaemia and uncomplicated malaria cases among blood group 'O' individuals. [12] In view of a heavy burden placed on human health due to malaria, a good many investigations have been conducted to find out whether ABO blood groups antigens are associated with susceptibility, resistance, or severity of malaria. Much new information has emerged since a relationship between ABO and malaria was first suggested > 40 years ago.…”