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Phenotypic and allelic distribution of the ABO and R hesus (D) blood groups in the C ameroonian population
Author(s) -
Ndoula S. T.,
Noubiap J. J. N.,
Nansseu J. R. N.,
Wonkam A.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
international journal of immunogenetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.41
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1744-313X
pISSN - 1744-3121
DOI - 10.1111/iji.12114
Subject(s) - abo blood group system , allele , phenotype , population , biology , genetics , medicine , gene , environmental health
Summary Data on blood group phenotypes are important for blood transfusion programs, for disease association and population genetics studies. This study aimed at reporting the phenotypic and allelic distribution of ABO and R hesus ( R h) groups in various ethnolinguistic groups in the C ameroonians. We obtained ABO and Rhesus blood groups and self‐identified ethnicity from 14 546 C ameroonian students. Ethnicity was classified in seven major ethnolinguistic groups: A fro‐ A siatic, N ilo‐ S aharan, N iger‐ K ordofanian/ W est A tlantic, N iger‐ K ordofanian/ A damawa‐ U bangui, N iger‐ K ordofanian/ B enue‐ C ongo/ B antu/ G rassfield, N iger‐ K ordofanian/ B enue‐ C ongo/ B antu/ M bam and N iger‐ K ordofanian/ B enue‐ C ongo/ B antu/ E quatorial. ABO allelic frequencies were determined using the B ernstein method. Differences in phenotypic distribution of blood groups were assessed using the chi‐square test; a P value <0.05 being considered as statistically significant. The frequencies of the antigens of blood groups O, A, B and AB were 48.62%, 25.07%, 21.86% and 4.45%, respectively. Rhesus‐positive was 96.32%. The allelic frequencies of O, A and B genes were 0.6978, 0.1605 and 0.1416, respectively. Phenotypic frequencies of the blood groups in the general study population and in the different ethnolinguistic groups were in agreement with H ardy– W einberg equilibrium expectations ( P > 0.05). The frequencies of O, A, and B blood phenotypes were significantly lower, respectively, in the N ilo‐ S aharan group ( P = 0.009), the N iger‐ K ordofanian/ B enue‐ C ongo/ B antu groups ( P = 0.021) and the N iger‐ K ordofanian/ W est‐ A tlantic group. AB blood group was most frequent in the N iger‐ K ordofanian/ A damawa‐ U bangui group ( P = 0.024). Our study provides the first data on ethnic distribution of ABO and Rhesus blood groups in the C ameroonian population and suggests that its general profile is similar to those of several sub‐ S aharan A frican populations. We found some significant differences in phenotypic distribution amongst major ethnolinguistic groups. These data may be important for blood donor recruitment policy and blood transfusion service in C ameroon.