Association of ABO and Rh blood groups with transfusion-transmitted infections among Blood Donors in Lahore

ABO/Rh blood groups and TTIs in blood donors

Abstract

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Blood transfusion carries the risk of transmitting infections collectively known as transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) or transfusion-transmitted pathogens. Major TTIs include the Hepatitis C virus, Hepatitis B virus, HIV, syphilis, and malaria. Different factors can expose individuals to these TTIs, but the effect of blood groups on susceptibility is not well understood. This study aimed to find any association of these TTIs with specific blood groups in the donor population.

METHODOLOGY: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among eligible donors who attended the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. Donor data, including screening results and blood groups, were recorded and analyzed using SPSS. Chi-square was used to assess the association between TTIs and blood groups.

RESULTS: Out of 17,770 donors, 92.77% were Rh-positive and 7.23% were Rh-negative. Blood group B was identified as the most frequent blood group (36.1%). The remaining donors had blood group O (29.2%), blood group A (24.7%), and blood group AB (10.1%). 3.5% of the total donors tested positive for different TTIs. HCV was the most prevalent TTI (1.40%), followed by syphilis (1.09%), HBV (0.87%), HIV (0.10%), and malaria (0.04%). In the statistical analysis, no significant associations were observed between ABO/Rh blood groups and TTIs (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: Blood groups influence susceptibility to certain infections and diseases. Although TTIs are highly prevalent in the donor population, they are not associated with ABO/Rh blood groups. Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm whether any association exists between TTIs and blood groups.