Examining the association between malaria infection and the occurrence of ABO/Rhesus and hemoglobin variants in patients at a tertiary hospital in Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Authors: Osiro Akwuebu Susanna , Sunday Mbeera Barinaaziga , Udogadi Aaron Umasoye , Chiatogu Ibeh Nancy , Mgbeoma, Eze Evelyn , Jeremiah Zaccheaus Awortu 
Published: May 2023

The spread of the ABO-Rh blood group and the haemoglobin genotype differs widely between racial and ethnic groupings. Patterns could fluctuate over time within the same community in various regions of the globe, which might indicate that a specific blood type gave resistance to an infectious illness. Therefore, it is crucial to have accurate and current information on how these blood types are distributed across human demographics. A total of 451 individuals were chosen at random, ranging in age from 1 to 15 years. The sample size was selected utilising Cochran sample size calculation as well as a rate of plasmodium in youngsters in Port Harcourt of 60.6%. Using a normal phlebotomy method, 2 ml of venous blood was extracted with little immobility within sterile circumstances from the dorsum of the hand or ante-cubital vein, as the occasion may indeed be. Employing thick and thin Giemsa-stained blood smears, malaria density was evaluated microscopically. The genotype of haemoglobin was determined using cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis in Tris-EDTA borate buffer (PH 8.9). Atlas Medical ABO reagent was used to identify ABO blood type qualitatively. Data management and statistical analyses were carried out using the Statistical Analyses System SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina, USA), with p values less than.05 deemed statistically significant. Four hundred fifty-one (451) people took part in this study. The amount of research participants (394) tested rhesus positive (87.4%). Amongst ABO variations, blood type B+ 8 (32%), A+ 7 (28%), and O+ 6 (24%), were shown to be higher common with complex plasmodium. Blood type O+ 198 (46.48) was by far the most common of simple ABO/Rhesus + blood groups, followed by B+ 97(22.77%) and A+ 72 (22.77%). (16.90). Similarly, among ABO/Rhesus negative blood groups with uncomplicated falciparum malaria, blood group O- predominated with 41 (9.62%). A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, O+, and O- blood types of class for uncomplicated plasmodium species load revealed a mean of 18114.03/l, 52760.10/l, 20021.47/l, 3428.33/l, 11084.33/l, 12460.34/l, and 4445.59/l in the identical sequence, with O- exhibiting the least susceptibility to malaria. In addition, for uncomplicated malaria parasite density, the haemoglobin genotype status indicated a mean of 113073.44/l, 111435.65/l, and 107250.3/1l for AA, AS, and SS in the same order, with AA indicating the highest sensitivity to plasmodium. The prevalence of haemoglobin genotypes AA, AS, and SS in the study participants was 72.5%, 20.6%, and 6.9%, respectively. Men made up 54.5% (246/451), although females made up 45.5% (205/451). The haemoglobin genotype AA predominated, with men (178) outnumbering girls (149), followed by AS (56 vs 37) and SS (12 against 31), correspondingly. The most frequent ABO blood type was O (54.3%), second by B (24.6%), A (19.7%), and AB (1.3%). The bulk of Rh+ blood cells (87.4%) were found in the Rh bloodstream. The bulk of Rh bloodstream (87.4%) were Rh+, whereas 12.6% comprised Rh. O+ (45.2%), B+ (23.3%), A+ (17.5%), O- (9.1%), A- (2.2%), AB+ (1.3%), B- (1.3%), and AB (0%) were always the mixed ABO and Rh blood types. Men’s blood groups B+ (60), B- (4), AB+ (4), and O+ (112) were significantly higher than female blood groups B+ (45), B- (2), AB+ (2), and O+ (94), whereas female blood groups A- (7) and O- (23) were higher than male blood types A- (2) and O- (23) (16).