Journal of Blood Disorders & Transfusion

Abstract

Prevalence of ABO and Rhesus Blood Groups in Northern India

Tulika Chandra and Ashish Gupta

Background: The ABO blood group system was the first human blood group system to be discovered by Landsteiner in 1900. The second type of blood group is the rhesus system. There are only two Rh phenotype such as Rh positive and Rh negative, depending on whether Rh antigen is present on the red cell or not. The frequency of ABO and Rh phenotypes in different populations has been extensively studied. The present study was done to assess the prevalence of blood groups in different categories of Northern India and to compare our results with other studies conducted in India and else where in the world and its multipurpose future utilities for the health planners.

Methods: A retrospective study was carried out on 23,320 blood donors during a period of one year from 1st January to 31st December 2011. The Blood samples were obtained by standard procedures of venupuncture and subjected to determination of ABO and Rhesus blood group using antisera by combined slide and test tube method. Each sample of donors was tested for ABO and Rhesus status.

Results: The blood group B (34.84%) was the commonest group prevalent in donors followed by group O (29.75%), A (21.50%) and AB (13.91%). AB negative was not seen in female donors.

Conclusion: The commonest ABO blood group was group B in Northern India with Rh negativity at only 4.55%.