Individuals with ABO Groups Show Significant Differences in Levels of Circulating Biomarkers Related to Inflammation, Apoptosis, Endothelial Dysfunction, Tissue Remodeling and Neurodegeneration: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVES

Blood group antigens are well known for their importance in transfusion medicine and transplant compatibility; however, their biological role extends beyond these functions and includes associations with the risk of several diseases. In this study, we investigated the relationship between ABO blood groups and the circulating levels of 73 different molecules.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Fifty-six healthy donors were enrolled, including 24 individuals with blood group O, 19 with blood group A, and 13 with blood group B. Blood samples were collected and analyzed in a single laboratory using Luminex fluorescent bead-based assay panels to determine the concentrations of 73 circulating molecules. Depending on data distribution, ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests and Student's t-test or Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests were applied to identify significant differences among groups. Associations were further assessed by binary logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Subjects with blood group A showed significantly higher circulating levels of IL-1R1, IL-13, IL-23, PDGF-BB, VEGF-A, VEGF-D, soluble VEGF-R2 (KDR), soluble VEGF-R3 (FLT-4), VLA-4, CD141, MMP-1, syndecan-1 (SDC-1), and mannose-binding lectin (MBL) compared with the other blood groups. In contrast, individuals with blood group B exhibited significantly higher levels of IL-22, IL-23, PDGF-BB, CD62P (P-selectin), and amyloid β1-42. Several significant associations were identified by logistic regression analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that ABO blood groups are associated with distinct circulating molecular profiles, supporting the existence of biological differences that may contribute to variations in disease susceptibility among individuals with different blood types. Nevertheless, given the exploratory's nature and limited sample size of this study, further investigations are required to validate these findings, confirm the observed associations, and clarify their potential clinical implications.