[The effect of ABO, Rhesus and Kell blood group antigens on gallstone prevalence. A sonographic study of 1030 blood donors].

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVE

Besides generally accepted risk factors of the pathogenesis of gallstone disease such as age, obesity, female sex and high number of births, hereditary factors are held responsible for different prevalence rates. A number of studies dealt with the question of a correlation between the prevalence of gallstone disease and different blood groups. The Ulm Gall Bladder Stone Study represents the first sonographic prospective study regarding this issue.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

Unselected blood donors (n = 1030, 606 men, mean age 38.0 years, 424 women, mean age 34.1 years) were sonographically examined for presence of gallstones at the German Red Cross blood donor centre in Ulm. Besides AB0, Rhesus and Kell blood group anthropometric data of the test subjects were recorded by means of a semi-standardized interview.

RESULTS

The prevalence of gallstone disease in all test subjects was 6.0%. Within the AB0 system the prevalence in subjects with blood group AB was highest (12.1%). The prevalence in Rh-positive and Rh-negative subjects was nearly identical (6.0 vs. 6.1%). Kell factor positive subjects suffered less from gallstone disease than Kell factor negative subjects (2.0 vs. 6.3%). None of these differences in prevalence were statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed no significant correlation between the distribution of the AB0, Rhesus and Kell blood group antigens and the prevalence of gallstone disease.