Urinary Schistosomiasis: Association with Abo Blood Group and Effect on Some Haematological Parameters

The present study was carried out to determine the relationship between urinary schistosomiasis and ABO blood group and the effect of urinary schistosomiasis on some haematological parameters among children at Ilie, a rural community in Southwestern Nigeria, a total of 200 subjects (7-14 years) divided into two groups were examined. The first group consisted of 100 individuals who had Schistosoma haematobium infection while the second group consisted of 100 healthy controls. Urine samples were collected from the subjects for detection of S. haematobium ova and 5 mL of blood was withdrawn from each participant for complete blood count and ABO blood grouping. Results showed that infection with urinary schistosomiasis was not significantly associated with A, B, and O blood groups (χ 2 = 2.69; df = 2; p = 0.26) but severe urinary schistosomiasis varied significantly with A, B, and O blood groups (χ 2 = 9.81, df = 2, p = 0.007). Severe urinary schistosomiasis was significantly more associated with group A individuals than group O individuals (χ 2 = 9.87; df = 1; p = 0.002). While the mean values of haemoglobin concentration, lymphocyte and eosinophil counts for the control subjects (122.0 g/L, 2.0x10 9 /L and 0.3x10 9 /L respectively) were within the normal ranges, the mean values of haemoglobin concentration and lymphocyte count for the infected subjects were below the normal ranges (105.0 g/L, 1.0x10 9 /L respectively) while the eosinophil count was above the normal range (1.5x10 3 /L). The present study showed that severe urinary schistosomiasis varied significantly with ABO blood groups with group A being the most associated. Also, it was associated with anaemia and eosinophilia.