PREVALENCE OF Rh AND ABO BLOOD GROUPS IN HIV SEROPOSITIVE PREGNANT WOMEN IN ENUGU, NIGERIA

HIV status and blood groups determination (Rhesus and ABO groups) in 3691 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at a Mission Hospital and Maternity and 1199 non-pregnant women visiting the same institution for marriage-related matters, or blood donation, or out-patient department between 1999 - 2002 were studied. Blood sample from each subject was screened for HIV using the quick test kits and tested for blood group types with anti-sera A,B,AB, and D. Overall, the prevalence of blood group O+ was higher than in the general population with highest rate of 62.9% in HIV+ pregnant women followed by 58.4% in HIV- pregnant women and 58.0% in non-pregnant women. No difference was observed in groups A+, B+, AB+, O- for the three categories of subjects studied. Blood groups B-, AB- were conspicuously absent in HIV+ pregnant women but non-significant in HIV- pregnant women and the control. A- was very few in all the categories. Rh -ve accounted for 3.16%( HIV+), 3.46%( HIV-) and 2.67%( Control) while Rh +ve were 96.84%( HIV+), 96.06% ( HIV-) and 97.33%( Control). Thus, the higher than normal prevalence of group O+ in HIV+ pregnant women is indicative of the population size for this group. The very low prevalence of Rh -ve in type A- suggests that incompatibility could be higher than in this population and protective in HIV infection contrary to the previous report in apparently healthy population. The obvious absence of Rh- in AB group suggests that AB may have a higher percentage of protection against immunization. Hence in group B, less incidence of Rh incompatibility and haemolytic disease of the young in the mothers in blood group AB will occur.

Keywords
Rhesus genes, ABO blood groups, prevalence, Pregnant women, HIV seropositive.