Malaria Parasitaemia Association with ABO Blood Types among Students of a Private University in Western Delta, Nigeria

Aim: The focus of this work was to investigate any relationship between ABO blood types and malaria parasitaemia among students of a private University based in Western Delta, Nigeria.
Study Design: Whole blood samples were obtained from a randomly sampled number of students and dispensed into ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) containers which were appropriately labelled. Collected blood samples were tested for ABO blood types and malaria parasites by standard methods. Data obtained were statistically analyzed.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Microbiology and Biotechnology laboratory of Western Delta University, Oghara, Nigeria between May, 2013 to October, 2013.
Methods: Venous blood of 2ml volume was obtained by venepuncture from 360 students made up of 150 (41.7%) males and 210 (58.3%) females of 28years average and who were both symptomatic and asymptomatic for malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum. Malaria parasite screening was done by both P. falciparum antigen rapid (Micropoint, USA) test and Giemsa staining. ABO blood typing was done using Monoclonal Antisera A, B and D. Results obtained were analyzed for any association by chi-square statistical method.
Results: One hundred and forty one (41.6%) male and 198 (58.4%) female samples were rhesus positive. Nine (42.9%) and 12 (57.1%) males and females respectively were rhesus negative. ABO blood group frequency occurrence was 55.8 %( O), 22.5 %( A), 18.3 %( B) and 3.4 %(AB). A total of 255 (70.8%) students were infected with P. falciparum parasites of which 55.3% and 44.7% were females and males respectively. ABO blood group malaria parasitaemia frequencies were 76.4 %(O), 56.3% (B), 52.4% (A) and O.O% (AB) for non-severe malaria and 70.5% (O), 58.3% (A), 55.6% (AB) and 50.0% (B) for severe plasmodiasis. Whereas there was significant association between malaria infection and gender (P<0.05), there was no significant association between severe and non-severe malaria parasitaemia in relation to ABO blood types (P>0.05).
Conclusion: The presence of rhesus negative factor up to 5.8% suggested a gradual and steady rise in the frequency occurrence of the factor when compared to reports of earlier studies. ABO blood groups O and AB recorded the highest and lowest frequencies respectively. The highest parasitaemia rate was observed among group O individuals and also among female O individuals compared to male O individuals. More female than male students suffered from both severe and non-severe forms of plasmodiasis. There was no significant association of all ABO blood types with severe and non-severe malaria parasitaemia clinically implying that all ABO blood types are equally at risk and therefore, available malaria prophylactic and therapeutic strategies should be directed at subjects of all groups.