Associations between seroprevalence of and ABO/rhesus blood group antigens in healthy blood donors in southwest Iran

Objective To investigate correlations between ABO/rhesus (Rh) blood group antigens and anti- Helicobacter pylori and anti-cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) seropositivity in blood donors. Methods A total of 311 blood donors were enrolled. ABO and Rh blood groups were determined using hemagglutination tests. Specific anti- H. pylori IgG and anti-CagA IgG antibodies in sera were quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Correlations between blood groups and anti- H. pylori and anti-CagA seropositivity were evaluated using the Chi-square test. Results O+ was the most frequent blood type (38%, n = 118). Anti- H. pylori IgG seropositivity was observed in 240 (77.2%) blood donors, while anti-CagA IgG seropositivity was observed in 132 (42.5%) blood donors. Although seropositivity rates for both anti- H. pylori and anti-CagA IgG were higher in individuals with blood type O, no statistically significant associations were observed between seropositivity and any ABO/Rh blood groups. Conclusion Individuals with blood type O may have higher rates of H. pylori seropositivity.