( Table 1) gives blood group antigens characterized by ISBT.ĪBO gene products have been associated with some diseases. However, due to lack of antigens of some blood groups, there have been some contentious issues with the association between the ABO blood group and vulnerability to certain infectious and non-infectious diseases. Associations between the blood type and disease have been studied since the early 1900s when researchers determined that antibodies and antigens are inherited. Many blood groups are receptors for toxins, parasites, and bacteria, where they can facilitate colonization or invasion or evade host clearance mechanisms. Alternative forms of a gene coding for red cell antigens at a particular locus are called alleles and individuals may inherited identical or non-identical alleles. Each system is a series of red cell antigens, determined either by a single genetic locus or very closely linked loci. A total of 34 blood group systems have been recognized and documented by the International Society for Blood Transfusion (ISBT). Human blood groups since discovery in 1901 by Landsteiner have been widely studied and characterized. More studies are required to rationalize the mechanism associated to this. Reviewed articles have reported close link between blood group antigens and susceptibility diseases. Blood type incompatibility between mother and foetus sensitizes the mother to develop alloantibodies that could potentially cause death of the foetus in utero, a condition known hydrops. Similarly, some tumors have A or A-like antigens this explains the propensity of group A to develop tumors. The loss of A, B, and H antigens as malignancy progresses was linked to potential metastasis. Antigens A, B and H are connected to N-glycans of vWF and reduces the half-life of the protein (10 hours) for group O while non-O groups, 25 hours. These are principally based on presence or absence of “H-like” and “A and B-like” antigens markers. Findings showed that O blood group had a greater frequency of severe infections such as E coli, cholera and blood group A was associated with incidence of smallpox and some bacterial infections. The objective of this chapter is to review articles that have reported the association between blood group antigens and susceptibility to some diseases. Blood group antigens represent polymorphic traits inherited among individuals and populations.
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