Immunology: Blood group link with infectious diseases

Immunology: Blood group link with infectious diseases

Susceptibility to malaria and tuberculosis is linked to type B blood group. José de la Fuente and colleagues at the Institute for Game and Wildlife Research in Spain, with co-workers in France, Portugal and Senegal, analyzed blood type data from patients with malaria, tuberculosis and dengue fever. The pathogens that cause malaria and tuberculosis carry molecules that are structurally similar to the characteristic ’antigen‘ molecules on type B blood group cells. The researchers suspect that immune tolerance to these antigens in people with type B cells may suppress the immune response against pathogens carrying similar molecules. This hypothesis is supported by a positive correlation between blood type B and the incidence of malaria and tuberculosis, but not dengue fever. Such links could aid research to control and prevent infectious diseases.

Exp Mol Med Research Summary. Published online 10 March 2017

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