Anti-A and SARS-CoV-2: an intriguing association

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases
• Genetics

Background:

• Blood groups and anti-A isohemagglutinin may influence susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• Investigating the association between ABO blood groups and COVID-19 outcomes is crucial for understanding disease epidemiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between ABO blood groups and SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence and antibody response.
• To determine if blood groups influence COVID-19 severity.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 430 COVID-19 patients (convalescent plasma donors and inpatients) and 2,212 healthy controls.
• Blood groups were categorized into those with anti-A (O and B) and without anti-A (A and AB).
• Measurement of nucleoprotein and neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers; application of multivariate logistic regression and non-parametric tests.

Main Results:

• Individuals with blood types O or B showed significantly lower SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence (OR=0.62, P<0.001) compared to types A or AB.
• No significant difference in infection prevalence was observed among COVID-19 inpatients based on blood type.
• Lower levels of Immunoglobulins M, G, and A were found in COVID-19 subjects with blood types O or B compared to A or AB.

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 individuals were less likely to have blood types O and B, and exhibited lower SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers compared to individuals with blood types A and AB.
• Blood groups were not associated with COVID-19 severity in this cohort.
• Findings suggest a potential role of ABO blood groups in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and immune response.