Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian Journal of Neurosurgery 2024; 13(02): 114-118
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1744244
Original Article

Medulloblastoma and ABO-Rh Blood Group: Evidence of an Association between the Distribution of Blood Group Antigens and Medulloblastoma

Ankur Bajaj 
1   Department of Neurosurgery, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Rehana Ansari
1   Department of Neurosurgery, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Somil Jaiswal
1   Department of Neurosurgery, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Chhitij Srivastava
1   Department of Neurosurgery, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Bal Krishna Ojha
1   Department of Neurosurgery, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Imran Rizvi
2   Department of Neurology, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Tulika Chandra
3   Department of Transfusion Medicine, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Objective Medulloblastoma is the most common central nervous system embryonal tumor and the most common malignant brain tumor of childhood. This study aims to find out the incidence of the ABO-Rh blood group in medulloblastoma patients of northern India to assess the utility of the blood group as a preclinical non-modifiable risk factor.

Materials and Methods The study cohort consisted of 87 pediatric patients (age up to 18 years) who were diagnosed after histopathological examination with medulloblastoma at a university hospital in Lucknow between 2014 and 2019. Hundred random pediatric individuals from the same population who were admitted to the same hospital between 2014 and 2019 for non-tumor cases were selected as the control group. Data concerning characteristics including age, sex, ABO blood group, and Rh factor were collected from hospital records. The distribution of ABO-Rh blood groups in the study population was compared with the general population using the χ2 test. Statistical analysis of the ABO-Rh blood groups in the study population was done using the IBM SPSS statistics version 24.0.

Results Data analysis revealed that blood group A was significantly associated with medulloblastoma cases (odds ratio [OR] = 2.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.35–6.34). We find that the classical subtype was prevalent with the blood group A (43.8%), while the desmoplastic subtype was associated with the blood group O (38.5%).

Conclusion Blood group A has a higher risk for the development of medulloblastoma while blood group O has the least risk. These findings suggest that blood group antigen should be considered as a non-modifiable preclinical risk factor for developing medulloblastoma.

Keywords

medulloblastoma - ABO-Rh - blood groups antigens


Publication History

Article published online:
24 March 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India

 

  • References

  • 1 Zhang BL, He N, Huang YB, Song FJ, Chen KX. ABO blood groups and risk of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2014; 15 (11) 4643-4650
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Liumbruno GM, Franchini M. Beyond immunohaematology: the role of the ABO blood group in human diseases. Blood Transfus 2013; 11 (04) 491-499
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 Liumbruno GM, Franchini M. Hemostasis, cancer, and ABO blood group: the most recent evidence of association. J Thromb Thrombolysis 2014; 38 (02) 160-166
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 4 Franchini M, Liumbruno GM, Lippi G. The prognostic value of ABO blood group in cancer patients. Blood Transfus 2015; 6: 1-7
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Allouh MZ, Al Barbarawi MM, Hiasat MY, Al-Qaralleh MA, Ababneh EI. Glioblastoma and ABO blood groups: further evidence of an association between the distribution of blood group antigens and brain tumours. Blood Transfus 2017; 15 (06) 543-547
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 6 Kumarguru BN, Pallavi P, Sunila, Manjunath GV, Vasan TS, Rajalakshmi BR. Histopathological study of central nervous system lesions: emphasizing association of neoplasms with ABO blood groups. J Clin Diagn Res 2017; 11 (04) EC15-EC20
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Muzumdar D, Deshpande A, Kumar R. et al. Medulloblastoma in childhood-King Edward Memorial hospital surgical experience and review: comparative analysis of the case series of 365 patients. J Pediatr Neurosci 2011; 6 (Suppl. 01) S78-S85
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Agrawal A, Tiwari AK, Mehta N. et al. ABO and Rh (D) group distribution and gene frequency; the first multicentric study in India. Asian J Transfus Sci 2014; 8 (02) 121-125
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 9 Sowbhagya P, Kolluri VR, Krishna DK, Das S, Das BS, Reddy GN. Intracranial tumours and blood groups. Eur J Cancer 1991; 27 (02) 221-222
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 10 Mehrazin M. ABO blood group frequency and brain tumors. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2006; 7 (04) 582-584
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Atwell JD. Distribution of ABO blood groups in children with embryonic tumours. BMJ 1962; 1 (5271): 89-90
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Pearce KM, Yates PO. Blood groups and brain tumours. J Neurol Sci 1965; 2 (05) 434-441
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 13 Hsiao LT, Liu NJ, You SL, Hwang LC. ABO blood group and the risk of cancer among middle-aged people in Taiwan. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol 2015; 11 (04) e31-e36
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Hakomori S. Antigen structure and genetic basis of histo-blood groups A, B and O: their changes associated with human cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta 1999; 1473 (01) 247-266
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 15 Roseman S. Reflections on glycobiology. J Biol Chem 2001; 276 (45) 41527-41542
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 16 Franchini M, Crestani S, Frattini F, Sissa C, Bonfanti C. ABO blood group and von Willebrand factor: biological implications. Clin Chem Lab Med 2014; 52 (09) 1273-1276
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 17 Franchini M, Frattini F, Crestani S, Bonfanti C, Lippi G. von Willebrand factor and cancer: a renewed interest. Thromb Res 2013; 131 (04) 290-292
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 18 Jenkins PV, O'Donnell JS. ABO blood group determines plasma von Willebrand factor levels: a biologic function after all?. Transfusion 2006; 46 (10) 1836-1844
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 19 Nowacki P, Tabaka J. Human von Willebrand factor (factor VIII-related antigen) in glial neoplastic cells of brain gliomas. Folia Neuropathol 2003; 41 (01) 23-27
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar