Effect of blood type on anti-α-Gal immunity and the incidence of infectious diseases

Résumé

The identification of factors affecting the susceptibility to infectious diseases is essential toward reducing their burden on the human population. The ABO blood type correlates with susceptibility to malaria and other infectious diseases. Due to the structural similarity between blood antigen B and Galα1-3Galβ1-(3)4GlcNAc-R (α-Gal), we hypothesized that self-tolerance to antigen B affects the immune response to α-Gal, which in turn affects the susceptibility to infectious diseases caused by pathogens carrying α-Gal on their surface. Here we found that the incidence of malaria and tuberculosis, caused by pathogens with α-Gal on their surface, positively correlates with the frequency of blood type B in endemic regions. However, the incidence of dengue fever, caused by a pathogen without α-Gal, was not related to the frequency of blood type B in these populations. Furthermore, the incidence of malaria and tuberculosis was negatively correlated with the anti-α-Gal antibody protective response. These results have implications for disease control and prevention. 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.

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