ABO blood group and risk of peripheral arterial thrombosis in patients with atrial fibrillation: a single center survey

Excerpt

ABO blood groups are defined by carbohydrate moieties on the extracellular surface of the red blood cell (RBC) membranes [1]. However, along with their expression on RBCs, ABO antigens are also highly expressed on the surface of a variety of human cells and tissues, including epithelium, sensory neurons, platelets, and vascular endothelium [2]. There are increasing evidences that human ABO blood type represents a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders, mainly due to its capacity of influencing von Willebrand factor (VWF) and factor VIII (FVIII) plasma levels [3, 4]. Indeed, it is well known that non-O individuals have plasma VWF and FVIII levels approximately 25 % higher than group O individuals [5]. Furthermore, genome-wide association studies have demonstrated that ABO blood group may influence plasma levels of lipids and markers of inflammation, such as E-selectin, P-selectin and tumor necrosis factor-α, all associated with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) [6‐8]. However, while there are consistent data regarding the association between ABO blood type and risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) [9], the results of the studies examining the relation between ABO blood group and CHD are inconclusive [10‐12], probably reflecting differences in study design and patients’ population size. …