Association between ABO/Rhesus Blood Groups and Selected Transfusion-Transmissible Infections among Blood Donors Attending University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: In low- and middle-income nations, transfusion-transmissible diseases (TTIs), primarily syphilis, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and HIV, continue to pose a threat to blood safety. Whether red-cell antigen systems (ABO and RhD) affect vulnerability to these illnesses is of interest since it may affect donor screening methods. Aim: The present study find out how common HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis are among blood donors at University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, and to look into any connections between these TTIs and the phenotypes of the ABO and RhD blood groups. Methods: 144 willing potential donors who were selected by simple random sampling participated in a descriptive cross-sectional study. With a reference prevalence of 9.3% and a 10% attrition adjustment, the sample size was determined using Cochran's formula, producing 144 individuals. Each donor provided five milliliters of venous blood, and the standard hemagglutination (tile) method was used to group the blood according to ABO and RhD. Commercially available ELISA kits for HBV, HCV, and HIV were utilized for serological screening; syphilis was detected by fast diagnostic testing (ELISA confirmation/retest of equivocal results as per protocol). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests for associations between ABO groups and TTIs, and testing for RhD associations were used to analyze the data; p < 0.05 indicated significant. SPSS v24 was used for this analysis. The methods and processes used were the same as those outlined in the original document. Results: The majority of donors (91.7%) are men, and 41.7% are between the ages of 18 and 25. RhD positive 140 (97.2%) and RhD negative 4 (2.8%); ABO distribution: O 105 (72.9%), A 22 (15.3%), B 13 (9.0%), and AB 4 (2.8%). In total, 9 out of 144 donors (6.25%) had at least one TTI test result. HIV 2/144 (1.39%), syphilis 3/144 (2.08%), and HBV 4/144 (2.78%) were the prevalences; no HCV cases were found. Although group O donors (n = 6) had the highest absolute number of infections, there was no statistically significant correlation between TTI status and RhD status (χ² = 0.28, df = 1, p = 0.60) or ABO group and TTI status (χ² = 3.14, df = 3, p = 0.37). Conclusion: The prevalence of syphilis, HIV, and HBV was low in this UCH donor group, and no HCV was found. The ABO or RhD phenotypes were not shown to predict TTI status. The key approach to blood safety continues to be the maintenance of sensitive screening and strong donor selection.