Grupo sanguíneo ABO e sua relação com a susceptibilidade à COVID-19: uma revisão de literatura

Abstract

Since the discovery of blood groups, researchers have been trying to find a relationship between the components that form them and infections caused by various pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses. This work aimed to carry out a literature review on the relationship between the ABO blood group and susceptibility to COVID-19 infection. For this, between March and June 2023, searches were carried out in scientific databases, using the keywords 'ABO blood group' combined with 'COVID-19', in addition to 'SARS-CoV-2', 'disease susceptibility', 'disease severity' and 'ABO antibodies'. After reading and compiling the information obtained, it was possible to verify that, even with divergent results, most of the studies so far have indicated blood group A as the most susceptible to infection and O as the most immune. The hypotheses suggest that the presence of natural anti-A and anti-B antibodies, of the IgG class, in the plasma of people from group O confers greater protection against infection by SARS-CoV-2. In addition to this, some studies have suggested the hypothesis that it is possible to consider that the virus, after replication in the target cell, would carry ABH glycans produced by the host in its structure, thus influencing the immune responses that an organism would produce after receiving the pathogen, considering the ABO blood type of those who infect and those who receive the infectious agent. From this perspective, the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 would resemble a blood transfusion, in which ABO-compatible transmission would generate a higher rate of infection and ABO-incompatible transmission, a lower rate. Although these findings are not yet used in the clinic as a form of prophylaxis or treatment of individuals who would be more susceptible, it is extremely important that new research be carried out in the future to guarantee the advancement of scientific knowledge in the area, in the discovery of new prophylactic methods and of disease treatment.