Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 2, 2026

Author Spotlight: Novel Assay for Studying B-Cell Responses in Multiple Sclerosis Research
Published on: December 1, 2023
ABO blood group distributions in multiple sclerosis patients from Basque Country; O- as a protective factor
Itziar Lopetegi1, Amaia Muñoz-Lopetegi, Maialen Arruti2
1Multiple sclerosis Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Spain.
Background:
The relation between ABO/Rh groups and multiple sclerosis (MS) has been proposed in several studies, however there is a controversy about the role of these groups in the disease. Although it has been reported that some groups can be protective or risk factors, there is no consensus and discordant reports can be found in the literature.
Objectives And Methodology:
In this short report, we analyze the ABO/Rh distribution in a MS cohort of 265 patients and compare these frequencies with the results obtained from the Basque Blood Donors bank (17,796 individuals) of the same region.
Results And Conclusions:
From our data, the absence of immune antigens (A, B or Rhesus +) defined by the group O- seems to be protective in the MS group with an odds ratio of 0.49 (95% confidence interval 0.309-0.796), while the presence of Rh+ plus A or B seems to be a risk in developing multiple sclerosis.
More Related Videos
05:44Author Spotlight: Creating a Versatile Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Model Relevant for Both Male and Female Mice
Published on: October 13, 2023
10:46A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data
Published on: December 9, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Blood Transfusion and Agglutination
History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...
The ABO Blood Group
Antigens in the ABO Blood Group System
Antigens are substances that can trigger an immune response, leading to the production of antibodies. In the ABO blood group system,...
Blood Types
ABO blood group
ABO antigens are glycoproteins encoded by genes present on...
Blood Typing
Antigens are protein molecules that reside on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). The ABO and Rh blood typing systems target...
Rh Blood Group
Blood Transfusion
Blood Transfusion Overview
A blood transfusion is a medical procedure used to replace blood lost due to injury, surgery, or to treat conditions such as anemia or cancer. During a transfusion, donor blood is...