Relationship between ABO, Rhesus and Kell blood group antigens and gallstone prevalence. A sonographic survey on 1030 blood donors

Background and objective: Besides generally accepted risk factors of the pa thogenesis of gallstone disease such as age, obesity, female sex and high n umber of births, hereditary factors are held responsible for different prev alence rates. A number of studies dealt with the question of a correlation between the prevalence of gallstone disease and different blood groups. The Ulm Gall Bladder Stone Study represents the first sonographic prospective study regarding this issue. Subjects and methods: Unselected blood donors (n = 1030, 606 men, mean age 38.0 years, 424 women, mean age 34.1 years) were sonographically examined f or presence of gallstones at the German Red Cross blood donor centre in Ulm . Besides ABO, Rhesus and Kell blood group anthropometric data of the test subjects were recorded by means of a semi-standardized interview. Results: The prevalence of gallstone disease in all test subjects was 6.0%. Within the ABO system the prevalence in subjects with blood group AB was h ighest (12.1%). The prevalence in Rh-positive and Rh-negative subjects was nearly identical (6.0 vs. 6.1%). Kell factor positive subjects suffered les s from gallstone disease than Kell factor negative subjects (2.0 vs. 6.3%). None of these differences in prevalence were statistically significant. Conclusion: This study revealed no significant correlation between the dist ribution of the ABO, Rhesus and Kell blood group antigens and the prevalenc e of gallstone disease.