The relationship between periodontal diseases ABO blood group and Rh factor in Côte d’Ivoire: A retrospective cross-sectional pilot study

• Author Details:   
• Gnaba Samson Mobio
• Zocko Ange Désiré Pockpa ^*
• Habib Melaine Ebiba Assi
• Naomi Delima Koffi
• Nadin Thérèse Koffi-Coulibaly
• Assem Soueidan
• Camille Bechina
• Xavier Struillou

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Aim: In Côte d’Ivoire, some individuals appear to be more severely affected by periodontitis than others, suggesting the possible involvement of underexplored genetic risk factors. Recent studies have proposed a potential link between ABO blood group, Rhesus (Rh) factor, and periodontal diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between ABO and Rh blood group systems and periodontal diseases in a population from Côte d’Ivoire.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional pilot study analyzed the medical records of 561 participants (250 females, 311 males) who attended periodontal consultations at the Cocody University Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023. Participants were categorized into three groups healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis according to the Chicago Classification criteria. ABO and Rh blood group information was collected via patient self-reports obtained through follow-up contacts. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) to assess correlations between blood group profiles and periodontal status.
Results: Among the 561 participants, the distribution of blood groups was as follows: O (49.9%), A (21%), B (16.4%), and AB (12.7%). Rh-positive individuals accounted for 94.5%, and Rh-negative for 5.5%. The distribution of periodontal status was 17.6% healthy, 57.8% with gingivitis, and 24.6% with periodontitis. A higher prevalence of gingivitis and periodontitis was observed among individuals with blood group O (53.1% and 44.9%, respectively) and Rh-positive status (94.44% and 94.21%, respectively); however, these associations were not statistically significant (p = 0.398 and p = 0.063, respectively).
Conclusion: This pilot study found no significant association between ABO or Rh blood group systems and periodontal diseases in the population studied in Côte d’Ivoire. Further large-scale, prospective research is warranted to confirm these findings and to explore potential genetic or immunological mechanisms involved.

Keywords:  ABO blood group, Periodontal disease, Rh factor, Risk factors, Côte d’Ivoire