Correlation of ABO-Rh blood group and transfusion transmitted infections (TTI) among blood donors

Abstract

The present study was conducted with the aim to determine the pattern of distribution and to detect association of transfusion transmitted infections (TTI) with ABO and Rh blood groups.A retrospective study was conducted at the Prathama blood centre, Ahmedabad, India over a period of five years from 01/01/2016 to 31/12/2020. A total of 1,43,687 healthy voluntary donors were included in the study. At the time of donation, blood samples are collected in plain and EDTA vaccuttes for TTI testing. Along with blood group and antibody screening, all the donor blood units were screened for HbsAg, HIV, HCV, Syphilis and Malaria. All testing was done with fully automated ELISA system (Bio-rad) and majority of the samples were subjected to NAT testing also. In the current study, sero-reactive samples from ELISA testing are included.The most common blood group was B positive (33.62%) while the least common was AB Negative (0.52%). The total sero-reactivity of TTI was 0.58%. Out of the total 1,43,687, 0.31% donors were reactive for HbsAg, 0.047% for HIV, 0.036% for HCV, and 0.19% for syphilis. Maximum sero-reactivity was seen in blood group B positive (0.19%) and O positive (0.17%) followed by A positive (0.13%). A significant association was seen between Rh Positive and Rh-negative blood group and HbsAg seropositivity. In TPHA positive donors, there was also significant association between TPHA infection and Rh-positive and Rh-negative blood group. Seropositivity for TTI was found more in Rh positive donors. Blood group B positive showed highest seropositivity for TTI (0.19%). There was no significant association of TTI with any other blood group. However, only one B negative blood group revealed seropositivity for HCV. Therefore, more studies are required for association of blood groups with TTI.