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Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences
Physiological Society of Nigeria
ISSN: 0794-859X
Vol. 23, Num. 1-2, 2008, pp. 5-8
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Nigerian
Journal Of Physiological Sciences, Vol. 23, No. 1-2, 2008, pp. 5-8
Distribution
Of Abo, Rhesus Blood Groups And Haemoglobin Electrophoresis Among The
Undergraduate Students Of Niger Delta University Nigeria
U. G. Egesie, O. J. Egesie1, I. Usar2 and
T. O. Johnbull³
Departments of Human Physiology, Haematology1
and Pharmacology2, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria
Department of Anatomy3 Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
Code Number: np08002
Summary
The distribution of ABO, Rhesus blood groups
and haemoglobin electrophoresis among 200 undergraduate students of Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State, Nigeria randomly selected were studied. Blood samples
were collected by venepuncture from the antecubital vein. The blood sample were
transferred into EDTA bottle and mixed. The determination of the ABO, Rhesus (RhD)
blood groups and haemoglobin electrophoresis was done. The results showed that
blood group O had the highest percentage distribution of 49% followed by blood
groups A and B with 22% respectively and the least percentage distribution was
blood group AB which is 7%. Rh-D positive rate was 98% and that of Rh-D negative
was found to be 2%. The percentage distribution for the haemoglobin electrophoresis
pattern for HbAA, HbAS, HbSS, HbAC and HbSC were 66%, 26%, 2%, 2%, and 4%
respectively. HbAA and HbAS occurred more frequently than other haemoglobin
variants in this study.
Key words: ABO and Rhesus blood groups, Haemoglobin electrophoresis.
Introduction
ABO and Rhesus blood groups are among the most
important blood groups clinically (Seeley et al, 1998). Landsteiner first
described the ABO blood group in 1900 and it served the beginning of blood
banking and transfusion medicine (Ali et al, 2005). Even after 100years, the
single most important test performed in blood banking services is determination
of ABO blood groups to avoid transfusion reaction and death (Honig and Bore,
1980). Also, the presence of Rhesus blood group was recognized in 1939 and it
was confirmed within few years (Landsteiner and Weiner, 1940). With the ABO
blood group individuals are divided into four major blood groups namely, A, B,
AB and O, according to the presence of antigens and agglutinins. Group A blood
has type A antigens, group B blood has type B antigens and group O blood has
neither A nor B antigens. Also plasma from blood group A contains Anti-B
antibodies which act against type B antigens, whereas plasma from type B blood
contains Anti-A antibodies, which act against type A antigens. Type AB has neither type of antibody and type O blood has both A and B antibodies (Seeley
et al, 1998). It is a well known fact that the ABO blood groups are not found
in equal numbers. In Caucasians in the United States, the distribution is group
O, 47%, group A, 41%, group B, 9%, and AB, 3%. Among the African Americans the
distribution is group O, 46%, group A, 27%, group B, 20% and group AB, 7%. In
the Orientals the distribution is group O, 36%, group A, 28%, group B, 23%, and
group AB, 13% (Pramanik and Pramanik, 2000). In Ogbomosho, Oyo State Nigeria,
50% of the Population are blood group O, 22.9% blood group A, 21.3% group B,
and 5.9% group AB ( Bakare et al, 2006).
One
of the antigens on the surface of red blood cells, the Rhesus antigen (named
because a related antigen was first discovered in Rhesus monkeys), is found on
the red cells of approximately 85% of the people of United States. This is the
second most important blood group system due to its immunogenicty in RhD negative
individuals in blood transfusion or pregnancy (Dennis et al 1998). People
are positive if they have RhD antigen on the surface of their red cells and are
Rh negative if they do not have this antigen. Rhesus incompatibility can pose
a major problem in pregnancies when the mother is Rhesus negative and the
foetus is Rhesus positive. If fetal blood leaks through the placenta and mixes
with the mothers blood, the mother becomes sensitized to Rhesus antigen. The
mother produces Rh antibodies that cross the placenta and cause agglutination
and haemolysis of fetal red blood cells. This is called haemolytic disease of
the newborn (HDN) and its severity may worsen in subsequent pregnancies if not
properly managed (Dennis et al, 1998). RhD antigen distribution varies from
one population to the other. RhD negative blood group is documented as 5.5% in
South India, 5% in Nairobi, 4.8% in Nigeria, 7.3% in Lahore, 7.7% in Rawalpindi
(Bhatti and Amin 1996; Mawuagi, 1999). About 95% of African Americans are RhD
positive.
The haemoglobin contained in a quantity of blood
accurately reflects the functional competence of the blood to supply oxygen to
the tissue (Weatherall, 2000). The structural abnormality may cause premature
red blood cell destruction, easily denatured haemoglobin, haemoglobin with
abnormal oxygen affinity, altered solubility and in some instances reduced
globin synthesis. Sickle haemoglobin (HbS) differ from normal haemoglobin (HbA)
because it has a valine in place of a glutamic acid in position number six of
the beta chain of the globin molecule. When the availability of oxygen is
reduced, the erythrocytes containing sickle haemoglobin change from round to
sickle shaped red cells. The sickle cell homozygote (HbSS) almost always
suffers anaemia. The sickle cell trait (HbAS) is immune to malaria (Tamarin,
2002). There are several variants of sickle cell disease. These are called SS
(individuals inherit one sickle gene from each parent), SC (the individual
inherits one sickle cell gene and another abnormal type of haemoglobin called
C), and S beta thalassaemia (the individual inherits one sickle cell gene and
one gene for beta thalassaemia). The clinical course of sickle cell disease is
extremely variable. The World Health Organization estimated that 7% of the
world population is carriers of HbS (WHO, 1972). This study, determined the distribution
ABO and Rh blood group and the frequency of distribution of haemoglobin
electrophoresis among a section of students of Niger Delta University Bayelsa
State, Nigeria.
Materials and method
Collection
of Blood Sample:
A total of 200 students aged 16 26 years, were
randomly selected from among registered students of the Niger Delta University,
Bayelsa State Nigeria. Blood samples were collected by venepuncture from the
antecubital vein. The blood was transferred into prepared ethylenediamine tetracetic
acid (EDTA) anticoagulant bottle.
ABO
and Rh Blood Group Tests:
The ABO and Rhesus blood grouping were done using the
tile method. A drop of blood from each student was placed on a clean white tile
in three places. A drop of each of the antisera, anti A, and anti B and anti D
was added and mixed with each blood sample with the aid of glass rods. Blood
groups were determined on the basis of agglutination.
Haemoglobin
Electrophoresis:
Haemoglobin electrophoresis was determined using
cellulose acetate electrophoresis technique was used. A small quantity of venous
blood was placed on a tile and mixed with three drops of water to lyse the red
cells. With the aid of an applicator, the haemolysate was placed on the
cellulose acetate paper. Electrophoresis in Tris buffer solution was for 15
20 minutes at e.m.f. 250v. Haemolysates from blood samples of known Hb AS and
AC were run as control.
Statistical
analysis
Statistical analysis was done using Chi-Square to
determine statistical significance at P- value of < 0.05.
Results
Two hundred students were randomly selected from among
registered students of Niger Delta University Bayelsa State, Nigeria. This
consisted of 124 males and 76 females between the ages 16 and 26. The
distribution of the blood groups A, B, and O is shown on Table 1. There is
significant difference in the distribution of blood groups between the male and
female students. The distribution of RhD positiveand RhD negative
varies among the ABO blood groups. There are significant differences in the
distribution of RhD positive and negative among the groups as own in Table 2.
The distribution of the various haemoglobin
electrophoresis obtained in this study are shown in table 3. There is
significant difference in the distribution of haemoglobin electrophoresis among
the male and female students. The highest percentages are among students with
haemoglobin HbSS, HbAA, and HbSC. The percentage of males that are HbAA and
HbAS are more than the corresponding females.
Table
1: ABO Blood Group Distribution among the Students (n = 200).
Sex |
A |
B |
AB |
0 |
TOTAL |
Male |
26 (13%) |
28 (14%) |
8 (4%) |
62 (31%) |
124 |
Female |
18 (9%) |
16 (8%) |
6 (3%) |
36 (18%) |
76 |
Total |
44 (22%) |
44 (22%) |
14 (7%) |
98 (49%) |
200 |
There
is no significant relationship between male and female students in their blood
group. Chi-square value = 0.415 and P-value = 0.9372 which is greater than
0.05.
Table
2: RhD blood group distribution among the Students (n = 200).
ABO Blood Group |
*RhD Positive |
* RhD Negative |
A |
42 (21%) |
2 (1%) |
B |
44 (22%) |
0 |
AB |
14 (7%) |
0 |
O |
96 (48%) |
2 (1%) |
Total |
196 (98%) |
4 (2%) |
*
There is no significant difference between Rhesus positive and Rhesus negative
students.
Table
3: Haemoglobin electrophoresis pattern among the Students (n = 200).
Sex |
HbAA |
HbAS |
HbSS |
HbAC |
HbSC |
Male |
80 (14%) |
28 (14%) |
2 (1%) |
0 (0%) |
4 (2%) |
Female |
52 (26%) |
24 (12%) |
2 (1%) |
4 (6%) |
4 (2%) |
Total |
132 (66%) |
52 (26%) |
4 (2%) |
4 (2%) |
8 (4%) |
There
is no significant difference between Male and Female in haemoglobin
electrophoresis pattern
Discussion
From this study, the distribution of blood group O was
the highest with percentage frequency of 49%, followed by blood group A and B
with percentage frequency of 22% respectively and the least percentage
frequency is that of blood group AB which is 7%. Normally, the distribution of
ABO blood group varies from one population to another. In many other studies,
blood group O has been found to be the most common blood group. In the
Caucasians in the United States, the distribution is group O, 47%, group A,
41%, group B, 9% and group AB, 3% (Seeley et al, 1998). Among Western Europeans
42% are group A, 9% group B, 3% group AB and the remaining 46% group O. For
blacks in United States, the distribution is group O, 46%, group A, 27%, group
B, 2%, and group AB, 7%. (Seeley et al, 1998). Similarly, in Pakistan, blood
group O is the most common (35%), blood group A is 24%, blood group B is 33%
and blood group AB is 8%. In Lagos Nigeria, blood group O is 55.3%, blood
group A, 25.3%, blood group B, 16.7% and blood group AB, 2.7% (Adeyemo et al,
2006). Thus, the segregation of the genes responsible for the ABO blood groups
has always taken a particular pattern for its distribution. In this study, it
can be seen that blood group AB has the least percentage; which is most of the
time very rare and also the case in other previous studies.
Rhesus
D distribution also varies within any group of human population. In this
study, it was observed that blood group O RhD positive is the highest with a
percentage frequency of 48%, which is followed by group B RhD positive with the
percentage frequency of 22%, blood groups A RhD positive is 21% and AB RhD
positive 7%. This study showed a total percentage of RhD positive distribution
of 98% and RhD negative distribution to be 2%. Similar pattern of distribution
is also observed in other studies. RhD negative blood group is documented as
5.5% in south India, 5% in Nairobi Kenya, 4.5% in Nigeria, 7.5% in Lahore, 7.7%
in Ralwalpindi studies (Das et al, 2001; Mawuagi, 1999; Omatade et al,
1999; Majeed and Hayee, 2002; Bhatti and Amin, 1996).
In
this study, the percentage distribution for HbAA, HbAS, HbSS, HbAC and HbSC
were 66%, 26%, 2%, 2% and 4% respectively. The observed frequency of HbAA and
HbAS being significantly higher than other haemoglobin variants in this study
is in agreement with previous reports that the normal haemoglobin (Hb AA),
ranges from 55 to 75% (Nwafor and Banigo, 2001; Egesie et al, 2003). The
distribution of sickle cell trait (HbAS) is 20 - 30% in Nigeria (Reid and
Famodu, 1988; Egesie et al, 2003; Adeyemo, et al, 2005). Knowledge of
the distribution of ABO, Rh blood groups and haemoglobin electrophoresis among
any population is useful in health care planning and appropriate allocation of
resources, while counselling targeted at appropriate persons ensures the
general well being of the individuals or people.
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© Physiological Society Of Nigeria, 2008.
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