Anti-A and SARS-CoV-2: an Intriguing Association

Overview

Journal Vox Sang

Specialty Hematology

Date 2021 Mar 2

PMID 33650690

Citations 7

Authors

Valeria de Freitas Dutra

Carolina Bonet-Bub

Ana Paula H Yokoyama

Ruth Achkar

Rafael Rahal Guaragna Machado

Murilo Assuncao

Gabriela Candelaria

Camila Pereira Soares

Roberta Maria Fachini

Rita Fontao-Wendel

Nelson Hamerschlak

Luiz Fernando Lima Reis

Danielle Bastos Araujo

Victor Nudelman

Joao R R Pinho

Luiz V Rizzo

Araci M Sakashita

Patricia Scuracchio

Edison Luiz Durigon

Silvano Wendel

Jose M Kutner

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Blood groups and anti-A isohemagglutinin may be involved in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively studied 268 COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors and 162 COVID-19 inpatients (total 430 subjects, confirmed by RT-PCR) and 2,212 healthy volunteer first-time blood donors as a control group. These were further divided into two groups: those with anti-A (blood types O and B) and those without it (types A and AB). Titres of nucleoproteins, and neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibody were measured in the convalescent plasma donors and inpatients. Multivariate logistic regression and non-parametric tests were applied.

Results: Persons having types O or B showed less infection prevalence than those of types A or AB (OR = 0·62, 95% CI 0·50-0·78; P < 0·001), but there was no difference when COVID-19 inpatients were analysed. Immunoglobulins M, G and A were lower in COVID-19 subjects of types O or B group than those of A or AB (0·16 vs. 0·19; P = 0·03, 2·11 vs. 2·55; P = 0·02, 0·23 vs. 0·32; P = 0·03, respectively).

Conclusion: In this retrospective cohort, COVID-19 individuals were less likely to belong to blood types O and B, and also had lower SARS-CoV-2 antibody titres than A and AB individuals. COVID-19 severity did not associate with the blood groups.

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