Association between ABO Blood Groups and Transfusion-Transmitted Infections Among Blood Donors in Nantong, China.

BACKGROUND

ABO blood groups have certain connections with the occurrence of various infectious diseases. This article mainly explored the association between transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) and ABO blood groups and identified other possible influencing factors.

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed the TTIs results of 257,117 blood donors and analyzed the relationship between age, gender, and blood groups and TTIs.

RESULTS

The treponema pallidum (TP) infection rate in A and AB blood donors were significantly higher than that in B and O blood donors (p = 0.023), and the TP infection rate in women was significantly higher than that in men (p = 0.007). Age is an independent risk factor for HBsAg and TP infection [OR (95% CI): 1.4 (1.32 - 1.49), 1.44 (1.38 - 1.51)], and the infection rate gradually increases with age (p for trend 0.001). There may be a significant as-sociation between blood group A and TP infection risk [adj. OR (95% CI): 1.13 (1 - 1.28), p = 0.045], and the risk of blood group A increased by 13% compared with non-A group. Blood group A is an independent risk factor for TP infection. There is a significant association between blood group AB and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection risk [adj. OR (95% CI): 0.71 (0.52 - 0.96), p = 0.026]; blood group AB has a 29% lower risk of infection compared with the non-AB group, so blood group AB is an independent protective factor against HBsAg infection.

CONCLUSIONS

The positive rate of TTIs among local blood donors is related to blood group and age, which has certain guiding significance for the recruitment of blood donor TTIs screening.