Reduced prevalence of placental malaria in primiparae with blood group O

Abstract

BackgroundBlood group O protects African children against severe malaria and has reached high prevalence in malarious regions. However, its role in malaria in pregnancy is ambiguous. In 839 delivering Ghanaian women, associations of ABO blood groups with Plasmodium falciparum infection were examined.MethodsPlasmodium falciparum infection was diagnosed in placental blood samples by microscopy and PCR assays. Present or past infection was defined as the detection of parasitaemia or haemozoin by microscopy, or a positive PCR result. Blood groups were inferred from genotyping rs8176719 (indicating the O allele) and rs8176746/rs8176747 (distinguishing the B allele from the A allele).ResultsThe majority of women had blood group O (55.4%); present or past P. falciparum infection was seen in 62.3% of all women. Among multiparae, the blood groups had no influence on P. falciparum infection. In contrast, primiparae with blood group O had significantly less present or past infection than women with non-O blood groups (61.5 vs 76.2%, P = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, the odds of present or past placental P. falciparum infection were reduced by 45% in blood group O primiparae (aOR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.33–0.94]).ConclusionsThe present study shows a clear protective effect of blood group O against malaria in primiparae. This accords with findings in severe malaria and in vitro results. The data underline the relevance of host genetic protection among primiparae, i.e. the high-risk group for malaria in pregnancy, and contribute to the understanding of high O allele frequencies in Africa.

ABO blood groups, Rhesus factor, and anaphylactic reactions due to Hymenoptera stings

“…People with blood group B and AB are prone to urinary tract infections and less susceptible to Helicobacter pylori. An interesting observation on malaria was shown by Bedu-Addo et al [9] who reported that blood group O was associated with protection against malaria. Other studies sought for an association between the ABO blood group and cancer [10,11], which in 1960 clearly demonstrated that pancreatic and gastric cancers are more common in persons of group A than in persons of groups O or B.…”

Influence of ABO Blood Groups on Plasmodium falciparum Parasitaemia and Malaria Clinical Types in Outpatients in a Government Hospital of Douala, Cameroon

“…Blood group O individuals were relatively protected from severe malaria than those of other blood groups [11][12][13]. Blood group O patients from Ethiopia were demonstrated less prone to severe malaria as compared to patients with other blood groups [14].…”

“…This less susceptibility of blood group O to severe malaria may be explained with reports from studies from studies in pregnant women which showed significant association between blood group O and increased placental malaria infection in primiparae and multiparae compared to other ABO phenotypes, a process which may modulate the pathogenesis of malaria in offspring [35]. A recent study in primiparae living in an area of high malaria endemicity of Ghana also suggested the protective influence of blood group O to severe malaria against P. falciparum infection [13]. …”

Evaluation of the relationship between ABO/Rh blood groups and severity of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B

“…It has been found that patients with O blood groups were more susceptible to gastrointestinal infection epidemic due to Escherichia coli O 157 and mortality was higher among this group (33). It has been reported that O blood group was prophylactic against malaria (11). In their study, Jang et al (34) have reviewed 108.898 medical records of ABO and HBsAg results and found that blood group A was more prone to have positive results with HBsAg, on the other hand, blood group O was more prone to Clostridium difficile toxin.…”

“…In the early publications about this issue, cancer, peptic ulcer and thrombotic diseases were claimed to be related with ABO blood groups (2,3,4). Up to now, research on the relationship of ABO blood groups with coronary heart disease, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, acne vulgaris, chronic renal failure (CRF), brucellosis, malaria, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection have been reported in the literature (5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13). Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (CHB) is still considered as an important public health issue worldwide, despite the existing effective prophylactic vaccine and strong antiviral therapies.…”