Study of association between abo blood group and rheumatic heart disease in both male & female

Now a day, heart disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized nations. From an epidemiological point of view Rheumatic fever and Rheumatic heart disease cannot be separated. Both of them are a major cardiac cause of disability and death. The onset of Rheumatic fever is usually preceded by a Streptococcal sore throat caused by Group-A Streptococcus one to four weeks earlier. Attempts have been made to correlate the occurrence of rheumatic fever and Rheumatic heart disease with genetically determined red blood cell groups, particularly ABO system. Clarke had shown statistically significant association between Rheumatic disease and blood groups.

Goal of our study is to observe the association between ABO blood group and rheumatic heart disease in male & female.

120 cases of Rheumatic heart disease patients taken. 67 cases are male & 53 cases are female. 2500 controls of ABO blood groups taken. The entire subject were instructed about study and written consent taken. History and clinical examination was done. The selection of cases of Rheumatic fever was made by Jones's Criteria. Blood from vein is drawn for estimation of ABO blood group and for diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease. Statistical analysis was done by chi-square test. P value less than 0.05 considered as a significant.

Out of 120 cases, 36 patients were of group ‘A’ (30.00%), 46 patients were of group ‘B’ (38.33%), 27 were of group ‘O’ (22.50%) and 11 cases were of group ‘AB’ (9.17%). In control cases, 37.08% belongs to group ‘B’, 33.08% to blood group ‘O’. 21.48% to blood group ‘A’ and only 8.36% to AB. Its comparison with control series revealed that there was an apparently increased frequency of disease in the ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘AB’ blood group and a decrease in blood group ‘O’. There is increased incidence in blood group ‘A’ and low incidence in Blood group ‘O’. Male & female both supported these. This chi-square value revealed and it is significant [P value between 0.05 and 0.02 i.e. < 0.05 and Degree of freedom (D.F.) = 3].

It is concluded therefore that, group ‘A’ individuals of both sexes are more susceptible to rheumatic heart disease while group ‘O’ individuals of both sexes are relatively resistant to the disease.