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1: Diabet Med. 2008 Feb;25(2):236-8. Epub 2008 Jan 21.Click here to read Links

Reduced frequency of blood group Lewis a-b- in female Type 1 diabetes patients.

Kharagjitsingh AV, Prinsen K, Lemkes HH, de Vries RR, Roep BO, Buschard K.

Department of Paediatrics, Sophia Children's Hospital, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

AIMS: To examine a disputed association between the Lewis(a(-)b(-)) phenotype and Type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS: Lewis red blood cell phenotyping was performed for 97 T1D White patients and 100 control subjects using monoclonal antibodies. Two historical cohorts were also included as a control population. RESULTS: T1D patients had a lower frequency (4.1%) of Lewis(a(-)b(-)) blood group compared with simultaneously tested healthy control subjects (10.0%) and the historical control group (11.1%, P = 0.02). Male T1D patients showed a Lewis(a(-)b(-)) frequency of 8.0%, which was similar to both matched healthy male donors (9.8%) and historical (9.5%) male control subjects. Unexpectedly, none of the female T1D patients displayed Lewis(a(-)b(-)) phenotype, vs. 10.3% and 10.8% of female control subjects (P = 0.039 and 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: The Lewis(a(-)b(-)) phenotype occurs less frequently in T1D compared with healthy control subjects with a strong female gender bias.

PMID: 18215173 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]