Frequency of ABO and Rh blood groups in patients with diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects of insulin secretion and/or increased cellular resistance to insulin. The major human blood group system is ABO. The majority of ABO determinants are expressed on the ends of long polylactosamine chains. No disease is known to result from the lack of expression of ABO blood group antigens, but the susceptibility to a number of diseases has been linked to a person's ABO phenotype. Methodology: This cross sectional study of 250 diabetic patients was conducted at Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore from 20-11-2015 to 20-05-2016. Patients were either admitted in the department of Medicine or visiting the out-patient department. 3ml of blood was taken from every patient after obtaining informed consent. Blood grouping was performed for the ABO, Rh phenotypes and labeled as per operational definition. Results: Out of 250 cases, 45(18%) were between 15-40 years of age while 205(82%) were between 41-70 years of age and mean age was calculated as 54.11±9.81 years, 130(52%) were male and 120(48%) were females, frequency of ABO and Rh blood groups in patients with diabetes mellitus in the local population group was recorded as 52(20.8%) in A+, 55(22%) in B+, 23(9.2%) in AB+, 97(38.8%) in O+, 2(0.8%) in A-,∗(3.2%) in B-, 3(1.2%) in AB- and 10(4%) in O-. Conclusion: We conclude that the prevalence of diabetes is higher in patients with Rh+ blood groups as compared to the Rhblood groups and diabetes is most prevalent in patients with O+ blood group.