ASSOCIATION OF HUMAN ABO AND RH(D) BLOOD GROUP SYSTEMS WITH MALARIA PARASITE INFECTIONS IN MIESSO DISTRICT, WEST HARARGE ZONE, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE

The ABO blood group system is a genetic polymorphism that leads to phenotypic polymorphism. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between malaria, particularly P. falciparum and P.vivax malaria, and the distribution of the ABO and Rh (D) blood group systems in Miesso district of West Hararge Zone of Oromia Regional State. A case-control study design was carried out from November to January 2016. A total of 168 people participated in this study. Blood group data and socio-demographic data were collected from both groups whereas clinical data related to malaria were collected only from cases. ABO and Rh (D) blood were determined using serological method for both cases and controls, while blood films examinations for malaria parasite determination in cases. From the selected cases of malaria, 85.7% P. falciparum, 8.9% P. vivax and 5.4% were mixed case. From the total of 56 blood samples examined in cases, there were 58.9% severe malaria category and 41% mild malaria category. The frequencies of ABO blood types in the case group were A = 37.50%, B = 32.14%, O = 21.43%, AB = 8.93% and for control group A = 17.0%, B = 16.1%, O =58.9%, AB = 8.0%. Most of the cases and controls were Rh+ . The allelic frequencies of ABO blood group for case and control were 0.567, 0.268, 0.165 and 0.741, 0.132, 0.127 I O , IA , IB respectively. In the current finding there were significant association between malaria parasite and ABO blood group with χ2 = 12.605, P-value= 0.012. There were an association between ABO blood group and malaria severity level with likelihood-ratio chi2 (6) =30.8359 and fisher’s exact = 0.000 and no association between Rh blood group and malaria severity level with χ2 = 2.643, P-value = 0.274. Generally blood types A were more susceptible to severe malaria as compared to patients with other blood types and blood types O were less susceptible.