The correlation between severe complications and blood group types in COVID-19 patients; with possible role of T polyagglutination in promoting thrombotic tendencies

Gasim Dobie; Sarah Abutalib; Wafa Sadifi; Mada Jahfali; Bayan Alghamdi; Asmaa Khormi; Taibah Alharbi; Munyah Zaqan; Zahra M Baalous; Abdulrahim R Hakami; Mohammed H Nahari; Abdullah A Mobarki; Muhammad Saboor; Mohammad S Akhter; Abdullah Hamadi; Denise E Jackson; Hassan A Hamali; Gasim Dobie; Sarah Abutalib; Wafa Sadifi; Mada Jahfali; Bayan Alghamdi; Asmaa Khormi; Taibah Alharbi; Munyah Zaqan; Zahra M Baalous; Abdulrahim R Hakami; Mohammed H Nahari; Abdullah A Mobarki; Muhammad Saboor; Mohammad S Akhter; Abdullah Hamadi; Denise E Jackson; Hassan A Hamali

doi:10.3934/medsci.2023001

AIMS Medical Science

2023, Volume 10, Issue 1: 1-13. doi: 10.3934/medsci.2023001

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Research article

The correlation between severe complications and blood group types in COVID-19 patients; with possible role of T polyagglutination in promoting thrombotic tendencies

1.
Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Gizan, Saudi Arabia
2.
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha Saudi Arabia
3.
Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
4.
College of Health Science, Department of Medical Laboratory science, Sharjah University, Sharjah, UAE
5.
Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Tabuk University, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
6.
Thrombosis and Vascular Diseases Laboratory, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia

Received: 03 September 2022 Revised: 21 November 2022 Accepted: 22 December 2022 Published: 16 January 2023

Introduction
Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still posing detrimental effects on people. An association between contracting COVID-19 and the ABO blood group type has been determined. However, factors that determine the severity of COVID-19 are not yet fully understood. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate whether the ABO blood group type has a role in the severity of complications due to COVID-19.

Materials and methods
Eighty-Six ICU-admitted COVID-19 patients and 80 matched-healthy controls were recruited in the study from Baish general hospital, Saudi Arabia. ABO blood grouping, complete blood count (CBC), CBC-derived inflammatory markers, coagulation profile, D-Dimer and anti-T antigen were reported.

Results
Our data showed that patients with blood groups O and B are more protective against severe complications from COVID-19, as compared to patients with blood groups A and AB. This could be partially attributed to the presence of anti-T in blood group A individuals, compared to non-blood group A.

Conclusion
The current study reports an association between the ABO blood group and the susceptibility to severe complications from COVID-19, with a possible role of anti-T in driving the mechanism of the thrombotic tendency, as it was also correlated with an elevation in D-dimer levels.
- COVID-19,
- ABO blood group,
- D-dimer,
- anti-T,
- severity
Citation: Gasim Dobie, Sarah Abutalib, Wafa Sadifi, Mada Jahfali, Bayan Alghamdi, Asmaa Khormi, Taibah Alharbi, Munyah Zaqan, Zahra M Baalous, Abdulrahim R Hakami, Mohammed H Nahari, Abdullah A Mobarki, Muhammad Saboor, Mohammad S Akhter, Abdullah Hamadi, Denise E Jackson, Hassan A Hamali. The correlation between severe complications and blood group types in COVID-19 patients; with possible role of T polyagglutination in promoting thrombotic tendencies[J]. AIMS Medical Science, 2023, 10(1): 1-13. doi: 10.3934/medsci.2023001

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Abstract

Introduction

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still posing detrimental effects on people. An association between contracting COVID-19 and the ABO blood group type has been determined. However, factors that determine the severity of COVID-19 are not yet fully understood. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate whether the ABO blood group type has a role in the severity of complications due to COVID-19.

Materials and methods

Eighty-Six ICU-admitted COVID-19 patients and 80 matched-healthy controls were recruited in the study from Baish general hospital, Saudi Arabia. ABO blood grouping, complete blood count (CBC), CBC-derived inflammatory markers, coagulation profile, D-Dimer and anti-T antigen were reported.

Results

Our data showed that patients with blood groups O and B are more protective against severe complications from COVID-19, as compared to patients with blood groups A and AB. This could be partially attributed to the presence of anti-T in blood group A individuals, compared to non-blood group A.

Conclusion

The current study reports an association between the ABO blood group and the susceptibility to severe complications from COVID-19, with a possible role of anti-T in driving the mechanism of the thrombotic tendency, as it was also correlated with an elevation in D-dimer levels.

Acknowledgments

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deputyship for Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia for funding this research work through the project number ISP22-1.

Conflict of interest

All authors have no conflict of interest in this manuscript.

References

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