ABO BLOOD TYPES OF BABCOCK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, NIGERIA AND THEIR LINK WITH HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION

Otajevwo Festus Dafinone* and Adetayo Anuoluwapo Yeyetomiwa

ABSTRACT

Five millilitres (5ml) of venous whole blood was collected from one hundred and eighty three students made up of 93 (50.8%) male and 90 (49.2%) female students of Babcock University, Ilishan Remo randomly selected across various Departments. Whole blood samples were dispensed into sequestrinized (EDTA anticoagulated) blood containers, properly mixed and labeled. Plasma samples were tested for Helicobacter pylori specific antibodies using the H. pylori Rapid Test Devices Kit. ABO blood phenotyping was carried out with monoclonal Antisera A, B and D by tile agglutination. A total of 169 (92.3%) and 14 (7.7%) students were rhesus positive and negative respectively of which 92 (54.4%) and 77 (45.6%) samples were rhesus positive male and female students respectively and of which 1 (7.1%) and 13 (92.9%) students were rhesus negative male and female students respectively. One hundred and thirty five (73.8%), 36 (19.7%) and 12 (6.5%) of the sampled student population belonged to 17-20, 21-24 and 25-30 yr age brackets respectively. One hundred and ten (60.1%), 38 (20.8%), 29 (15.9%) and 6 (3.3%) students were of O, A, B and AB blood phenotypes respectively. A total of 9 (4.9%) male students were seropositive for H. pylori infection of which 3 (10.3%) and 6 (5.5%) belonged to groups B and O respectively with no female students infected. Chi square analysis showed that sex was significantly associated with H. pylori infection (X2 = 137.571, Critical (P) value of X20.05(1) = 3.841, X20.01(1) = 6.635, P˂0.05, P˂0.01). Chi square analysis also indicated that ABO phenotypes were significantly associated with H. pylori infection with respect to types B and O (X2 = 178.211, Critical (P) value of X20.05(1) = 3.841, X20.01(1) = 6.635, P˂0.05, P˂0.01).

Keywords: ABO types, University students, link, H. pylori, infection.