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[Association between maternal heterozygosity for five blood groups and reproductive success]
C G Christoph1, M I Thumala, J Nazer
1Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes.
Background:
In man, blood groups are polymorphic genetic systems. Maternal fetal incompatibility phenomena should lead to an elimination rather than a maintenance of these polymorphisms. A possible mechanism that could explain the persistence of these polymorphisms in natural populations is a selective reproductive advantage of heterozygous individuals.
Aim:
To explore the relationship between maternal heterozygosity for five blood groups and some obstetrical variables related to gestational success.
Material And Methods:
Using a case control design, to every mother giving birth to a malformed child a consecutive mother, whose offspring was normal, was assigned as control. All women were typified for ABO, Rh, Kidd, MNSs and Duffy blood groups.
Results:
Two hundred two women were studied. There was only one stillbirth, born from a heterozygous mother for all analyzed loci. Mothers that were heterozygous or homozygous for all loci had a higher frequency of malformed children. Women homozygous for all loci had a higher frequency of living offspring than the rest of the sample.
Conclusions:
Heterozygous mothers for these genetic systems have a reproductive disadvantage.