ABO AND RHESUS (RH) GENE DISTRIBUTION AMONG SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASSES IN A MIXED POPULATION IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA.

ABO AND RHESUS (RH) GENE DISTRIBUTION AMONG SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASSES IN A MIXED POPULATION IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT
The blood group Rhesus factor of six hundred and thirty one individual (100 females, 531 males) who came to the university of Port Harcourt blood bank and Braithwaite memorial Hospital Blood Bank (also in Port Harcourt) to donate blood were determined. The individuals aware classified into three different socio-economic, classes.
Different theories that points to the fact that a difference should be observed in the distribution of the ABO blood groups among the social classes were discussed.
Analysis of the data revealed that 613 (97.15%) of the total sample were Rh +ve while 18 (2.85%) were rh –ve. 158 (25.04%) of the total sample belonged to the petty Bourgeoisic class, 147 (23.30%) belonged to the working class while 326 (51.66$) belonged to the peasantry class.
There were little differences in the distribution of these various ABO and Rhesis phenotypes among the socio-economic classes. Group A and B were fairly less than expected in the peasantry class. In the working class, group A and B were more than expected while o was less than expected. In the petty Bourgeoisie class, groups A and O were less than expected while group B was more than expected. The percentage of AB individuals in the petty Bourgeoisie class was as expected.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW

The human blood groups (ABO) are classified on the basis of antigenic nature of the red cell membrane (Landsteiner 1907). Antigenic specificity are known to be determined by the terminal carbohydrate residues attached to common carbohydrate chains of the red cell surface (Kabat 1956). Specific transferees, that is, N – acetylgalactosaminyi transferees (A –enzyme) in blood group A persons and galactosyltransferase (B – enzyme) are responsible for transferring the carbohydrates to the terminal galactose of the H – substance of the 0 red cell surface with both enzymes absent in group o persons.

ABO AND RHESUS (RH) GENE DISTRIBUTION AMONG SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASSES IN A MIXED POPULATION IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA