ABO blood group status and Von Willebrand Factor antigen levels in a cohort of 100 blood donors in an African population

Abstract

Von Willebrand Factor (vWF) antigen levels are known to vary widely in healthy individuals. Approximately 30% of the variation in plasma vWF is due to the effect of ABO blood group. The aim of this study was to determine the plasma vWF levels in different ABO blood groups in an African population. Using blood samples of 100 blood donors at the Blood Bank Unit, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo, Nigeria, the ABO blood group phenotype was determined by standard tube method while von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF: Ag) was determined by ELISA Method. There were 63 male subjects and 37 female subjects with a mean age of 31.7 ± 6.39 years. The frequency of O, A, B and AB blood groups were 50%, 31%, 16% and 3%, respectively. The mean plasma vWF: Ag concentration of the subjects was 1.38 ± 1.02IU/ml with blood group A having the lowest mean vWF: Ag level (1.087 ± 0.402) followed by group O (1.2896 ± 1.005), followed by group AB (1.687 ± 1.061), followed by group B (2.176 ± 1487) having the highest level. This study reaffirms the well-known notion that ABO blood group influences the plasma level of vWF: Ag and also demonstrates that vWF levels in group O individuals are lower than non-group O individuals in Nigeria, Africa.