Association between ABO, Rheus blood group systems and haemoglobin genotype among confirmed HIV/AIDS-TB co-infected patients in Enugu urban, Nigeria

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The distribution of ABO, Rhesus blood group and haemoglobin (Hb) genotypes was investigated among 320 confirmed human immunodeficiency virus I & II (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) with tuberculosis (TB) co-infected patients. One Hundred and Sixty (160) healthy HIV I & II negative age and sex-matched population were used as controls for this study. STUDY DESIGN: Patients and controls were from the same environment and their blood groups and Hb genotypes were determined by the standard tube and electrophoresis methods respectively. RESULTS: The statistical analysis of the results revealed statistically significant association (P<0.01) between Hb-genotype among female patients and female controls chi-squared = 6.099, P<0.01, and also between patient and control groups of both sexes chi-squared = 7.4561, p<0.01 only. CONCLUSION: We conclude that HIV I & II/AIDs with TB co-infection among Nigerians so far studied appear to show no association in the distribution of ABO, Rhesus blood group and Hb-genotype prevalence. Hence they cannot be said to have either protective nor predisposing characteristics.