ABO blood type and the risk of cancer - Findings from the Shanghai Cohort Study

Genome-wide association studies in a large Korean cohort identify novel quantitative trait loci for 36 traits and illuminates their genetic architectures

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been predominantly conducted in populations of European ancestry, limiting opportunities for biological discovery in diverse populations. We report GWAS findings from 153,950 individuals across 36 quantitative traits in the Korean Cancer Prevention Study-II (KCPS2) Biobank. We discovered 616 novel genetic loci in KCPS2, including an association between thyroid-stimulating hormone and CD36. Meta-analysis with the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study, Biobank Japan, Taiwan Biobank, and UK Biobank identified 3,524 loci that were not significant in any contributing GWAS. We describe differences in genetic architectures across these East Asian and European samples. We also highlight East Asian specific associations, including a known pleiotropic missense variant in ALDH2, which fine-mapping identified as a likely causal variant for a diverse set of traits. Our findings provide insights into the genetic architecture of complex traits in East Asian populations and highlight how broadening the population diversity of GWAS samples can aid discovery.

Blood Group Antigen A Carriers Exhibit an Extended Progression-Free Survival with no more Immune-Related Adverse Events

Extensive investigations have been conducted regarding the potential correlation between blood type and the immune system, as well as cancer risk in the Southern Chinese population. However, the prognostic value of the blood group and its genetic determinants in the context of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment remains unclear. Therefore, the associations between the ABO blood group and its single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were examined in relation to ICI treatment outcomes in 370 eligible patients with cancer. This approach allowed us to derive the blood group from the SNPs responsible for blood group determination. In the discovery cohort (N = 168), antigen A carriers (blood types A and AB) exhibited an extended progression-free survival (PFS; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.34-0.98). The association results from the SNP-derived blood were consistent with those from the measured blood group. In the validation cohort (N = 202), Cox regression analysis revealed that the antigen A carriers (rs507666 AA+GA genotype carriers) experienced significantly extended PFS compared with the non-antigen A carriers (HR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.40-0.93). Therefore, a longer PFS was observed in antigen A carriers (P value = 0.003, HR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.44-0.84). Furthermore, haplotype 2 carriers (rs507666 GA and rs659104 GG) demonstrated both extended PFS and improved overall survival. Notably, the presence of antigen A was not associated with the occurrence of overall immune-related adverse events (irAEs) or organ-specific toxicity. In summary, our findings revealed that antigen A carriers did not experience a higher incidence of irAEs while exhibiting better immunotherapy efficacy.

Predictive Role of Pre-Operative Anemia in Early Recurrence of Endometrial Cancer: A Single-Center Study in Romania

This study aims to investigate the association between anemia and early recurrence in endometrial cancer patients. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 473 endometrial cancer patients treated at our hospital from January 2015 to December 2020. Patients were divided into two groups based on their hemoglobin (Hb) level: anemia group (Hb < 12 g/dL) and non-anemia group (Hb ≥12 g/dL). Early recurrence was defined as recurrence within 2 years of diagnosis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the predictors of early recurrence. The prevalence of anemia was 38.26% (181/473). The incidence of early recurrence was 12.89% (61/473) in the anemia group and 9.24% (38/412) in the non-anemia group (p = 0.004). Univariate analysis showed that anemia was a significant predictor of early recurrence (odds ratio (OR) = 2.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.35-3.80, p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis confirmed that anemia was an independent predictor of early recurrence (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.21-3.84, p = 0.01). Anemia is an independent predictor of early recurrence in endometrial cancer patients. Patients with endometrial cancer should be screened for anemia and treated if present. Additionally, patients with anemia should be closely monitored for early signs of recurrence and treated aggressively.

Construction and Validation of a Gastric Cancer Diagnostic Model based on Blood Groups and Tumor Markers

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the value of combined detection of ABO blood group and tumor markers in the diagnosis of gastric cancer. Methods: A total of 3650 gastric cancer patients treated in our center from January 2015 to December 2019, and 5822 controls were recruited, and divided into training set and validation set according to 7:3. The diagnostic and predictive model of gastric cancer was constructed by binary logistic regression method in the training set. The diagnostic value of the prediction model for gastric cancer was evaluated by calculating the prediction probability P value and drawing the Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and was verified in the validation set. Results: The Area under the curve (AUC) of the diagnosis and prediction model in the training set was 0.936 (95%CI: 0.926-0.941), the sensitivity was 81.66%, and the specificity was 98.61%. In the validation set, the AUC was 0.941 (95%CI: 0.932-0.950), the sensitivity was 82.33%, and the specificity was 99.02%. Furthermore, the diagnostic model obtained in this study had a high diagnostic value for early gastric cancer patients in the healthy population (AUC of training set, validation set and total population were 0.906, 0.920 and 0.908, respectively). Conclusions: We constructed a diagnostic model for gastric cancer including blood group and tumor markers, which has high reference value for the diagnosis of gastric cancer patients, and the model can better distinguish early gastric cancer from healthy people.

Association between ABO blood type and type I endometrial cancer: a retrospective study

This study aimed to assess the association between ABO blood type and incident of type I endometrial cancer (EC), as well as the stage and differentiation. 213 patients with type I EC and 300 healthy controls were included. As a result, the frequencies of A, B, O, and AB blood types among patients with type I EC were 51 (23.9%), 59 (27.7%), 93 (43.7%) and 10 (4.7%), respectively. There were no significant differences in age, body mass index, and other baseline covariates between groups of ABO blood types (p > .05). Logistic regression model showed that women with blood type O was more likely to develop type I EC than those with type A (odds ratio (OR): 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-2.63). However, there was no significant association of ABO blood type with stage and differentiation of type I EC (p > .05). In conclusion, blood type O was the most prevalent ABO blood type among patients with type I EC and was associated with increased risk of type I EC, while ABO blood type was not significantly associated with stage or differentiation of type I EC.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Previous studies have produced inconsistent findings on association of ABO blood type with EC. Those studies also did not explore the relationship between ABO blood type and stage or differentiation of type I EC.What the results of this study add? The present study showed that women with blood type O was more likely to develop type I EC than those with type A and there was no significant association of ABO blood type with stage or differentiation of type I EC.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Gynaecologists should pay more attention to women with blood type O, who should undergo more active EC screening.

ABO and Rhesus blood group markers as predictors in colorectal cancer: A prospective observational study

Numerous research studies have investigated the relationship between ABO and Rhesus (Rh) blood groups and the risk of various cancers, yielding diverse findings. While these blood groups have been established as prognostic factors in some cancers, their relevance to colorectal cancer (CRC) remains uncertain. This research aims to determine the link between CRC and the ABO and Rh blood groups and explore any potential implications for disease survival. A hospital-based prospective observational study was conducted from March 2019 to March 2022 at the Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar, India. A total of 246 patients with confirmed colorectal cancer were enrolled in the study. Our study observed that blood type B (33.74%) and Rh-positive (91.87%) blood types were the most prevalent, surpassing other blood groups. No statistically significant associations were identified between the blood groups and the studied xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme gene variants. The study observed a heightened risk of CRC in patients with advanced cancer stages and lymphovascular invasion (P-value < .05). On follow-up, there were no statistically significant differences in 3-year survival rates observed between ABO and Rh blood groups. This study's findings suggest that ABO and Rh blood groups are not associated with the risk of CRC or overall survival among CRC patients. Further clinical studies are needed to establish the precise relationship between blood groups and CRC risks, as well as their implications for the prognosis of CRC patients.

Shared genetic links between bladder cancer and obesity-related traits: A conjunctional false discovery rate study

Bladder cancer (BCa) is a common cancer worldwide and is often linked with obesity-related comorbidities, but little is known about the underlying genetic mechanisms. To investigate these mechanisms, we used various quantitative tools, including conditional quantile-quantile (Q-Q) plots, conditional false discovery rate (cFDR), and conjunctional conditional false discovery rate (ccFDR), to explore the pleiotropic enrichment of risk loci between BCa and obesity-related traits. We also performed an expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis to assess the relationship between shared risk loci and gene expression. Finally, we conducted functional annotation using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene ontology (GO) analysis. Our findings indicated that there was successive enrichment for a range of obesity-related traits, including body fat percentage, body mass index, fasting insulin, type 2 diabetes mellitus, fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total triglycerides, and waist-to-hip ratio. Using the tools mentioned above, we identified 18 significant SNPs and 18 closely related genes (cFDR<0.01) under the condition of 8 obesity-related traits. The SNPs included rs143004880, rs73301337, rs10798572, rs11594929, rs17019138, rs2877, rs149795948, rs142509736, rs12727575, rs1571277, rs12131828, rs635634, rs76895963, rs118081211, rs7044247, rs138895564, rs4135275, and rs148023060. Additionally, we identified 15 novel loci using ccFDR, including rs143004880, rs73301337, rs10798572, rs11594929, rs17019138, rs2877, rs142509736, rs1571277, rs635634, rs76895963, rs12131828, rs118081211, rs7044247, rs138895564, and rs4135275. Of the 2 significant loci that modify gene expression, rs12131828 and rs635634 were identified. The functional annotation indicated that the conditional risk genes mainly participated in the regulation of gene silencing. Our study provided evidence of pleiotropic enrichment between BCa and 8 obesity-related traits, and we identified potential genetic mechanisms underlying this relationship. These findings may help in developing targeted clinical treatments for BCa.

The Association between ABO Blood Group and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Recently, studies have investigated the relationship between blood types and cancers. Contradictory results regarding the relationship between blood group type and colorectal cancer(CC) have been reported. The purpose of this study was to systematically investigate the distribution of ABO blood group frequency and evaluate its relationship with CC.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

To conduct this systematic meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases using appropriate MESH terms until July 2022. All observational studies which assessed the ABO blood group frequency distribution and the association between ABO and CC were included. The Risk of Bias Assessment tool was used to assess the quality of studies. A random model was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR). The Egger test was used to assess the publication bias.

RESULTS

Overall,14 studies (413,132 patients) were included. According to the pooled estimation, blood groups A, B, AB, and O frequency in patients with CC were 37%,18%,9%, and 31%, respectively. The OR of CC in people with the A blood group was higher than in the other groups (OR: 1.11, 95% CI:1.03,1.19, P:0.001). In contrast, the OR of CC in people with the O blood group was significantly lower than in other blood groups (OR: 0.93, 95% CI:0.83,0.97, P:0.001). No significant relationship was observed for B and AB blood groups with CC.

CONCLUSIONS

This Meta-analysis showed that blood group type A has a greater risk of developing CC, while blood group type O was associated with lower chances of CC.

Expression of ER, PR, and HER-2 Neu and correlation with tumor markers in gall bladder carcinoma

Background

Females having a large proportion of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) and a higher incidence of gallstones pointed toward the role of sex hormones in GBC development. In this study, we evaluated the expression of Estrogen receptor (ER), Progesterone receptor (PR), and Her2/neu and their correlation with tumor markers and clinicopathological parameters in the GBC.

Methods

A total of 50 patients of GBC and 42 patients in control group undergoing surgery for other conditions were taken. The patient's biopsy sample's paraffin block was tested for ER, PR, and Her2/neu expression by immunohistochemistry.

Results

ER and PR had no significant expression in GBC and control group, but Her2/neu had 16% expression in GBC, significantly associated with the degree of differentiation with 62.5% (n-5) being well-differentiated; 75% of Her2/neu positive were in stages III and IV. Her2/neu did not correlate with tumor markers despite expression.

Conclusions

Her2/neu amplification is a small step in validating that option so it could be included in the treatment and prognostication of GBC.

Prediction model for tibial plateau fracture combined with meniscus injury

Purpose

To investigate a prediction model of meniscus injury in patients with tibial plateau fracture.

Methods

This retrospective study enrolled patients with tibial plateau fractures who were treated in the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 1, 2015, to June 30, 2022. Patients were divided into a development cohort and a validation cohort based on the time-lapse validation method. Patients in each cohort were divided into a group with meniscus injury and a group without meniscus injury. Statistical analysis with Student's t-test for continuous variables and chi square test for categorical variables was performed for patients with and without meniscus injury in the development cohort. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen the risk factors of tibial plateau combined with meniscal injury, and a clinical prediction model was constructed. Model performance was measured by examining discrimination (Harrell's C-index), calibration (calibration plots), and utility [decision analysis curves (DCA)]. The model was validated internally using bootstrapping and externally by calculating their performance in a validation cohort.

Results

Five hundred patients (313 [62.6%] males, 187 [37.4%] females) with a mean age of 47.7 ± 13.8 years were eligible and were divided into development (n = 262) and validation (n = 238) cohorts. A total of 284 patients had meniscus injury, including 136 in the development cohort and 148 in the validation cohort We identified high-energy injuries as a risk factor (OR = 1.969, 95%CI 1.131-3.427). Compared with blood type A, patients with blood type B were more likely to experience tibial plateau fracture with meniscus injury (OR = 2.967, 95%CI 1.531-5.748), and office work was a protective factor (OR = 0.279, 95%CI 0.126-0.618). The C-index of the overall survival model was 0.687 (95% CI, 0.623-0.751). Similar C-indices were obtained for external validation [0.700(0.631-0.768)] and internal validation [0.639 (0.638-0.643)]. The model was adequately calibrated and its predictions correlated with the observed outcomes. The DCA curve showed that the model had the best clinical validity when the threshold probability was 0.40 and 0.82.

Conclusions

Patients with blood type B and high-energy injuries are more likely to have meniscal injury. This may help in clinical trial design and individual clinical decision-making.

Exploratory Evaluation of Neopterin and Chitotriosidase as Potential Circulating Biomarkers for Colorectal Cancer

Chronic inflammation is demonstrated to play a direct role in carcinogenesis. Our exploratory study aimed to assess the potential added value of two inflammation biomarkers, chitotriosidase and neopterin, in follow-up evaluation of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). An observational exploratory study was conducted. Patients with CRC and matched controls (1:1, age, sex, and living environment) were evaluated. The patients with CRC (CRC group) and controls were assessed at baseline (before surgical intervention for patients with CRC). Patients with CRC were also evaluated at 1-year follow-up. Significantly more patients with blood group A (54.5% vs. 25.0%) and smokers (50.0% vs. 22.7%) were in the CRC group. The serum values of chitotriosidase and neopterin were higher in CRC patients than in controls, but only neopterin reached the conventional level of statistical significance (p-value = 0.015). The circulating chitotriosidase and neopterin values decreased significantly at 1-year follow-up (p-value < 0.0001). Patients with higher N- and M-stage showed statistically significant higher levels of chitotriosidase and neopterin at baseline and 1-year follow-up (p-values < 0.03). Circulating chitotriosidase levels also showed statistically significant differences regarding baseline and 1-year follow-up on patients with CRC and different differentiation grades (p-values < 0.02). The circulating levels of neopterin significantly decreased at 1-year follow-up, indicating its potential as a prognostic marker. The circulating values of chitotriosidase and neopterin exhibit significant differences in patients with than without recurrences. Our results support further evaluation of chitotriosidase and neopterin as prognostic markers in patients with CRC.

ABO Blood Group and the Risk and Prognosis of Lymphoma

ABO blood group antigens exhibit alternative phenotypes and genetically derived structures that are located on the red cell surface. The role of ABO blood group in cancer biology has been intensely reported by several studies, and it is now widely recognized that ABO antigens are associated with the risk and prognosis of several types of tumors, namely gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer. However, there have been contentious limited issues with the association between the ABO blood group and lymphoma. In this narrative review, based on literature data, we discuss the role of ABO blood group in the risk and prognosis of lymphoma and summarize the current knowledge of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of the association. The possible association of ABO blood group with racial disparities and pathological classification in lymphoma patients is also discussed.

Impact of ABO-blood group type on haemorrhagic and thromboembolic complications after resection of intracranial meningiomas

OBJECTIVE

Recent studies have suggested an impact of the ABO-blood group type on thromboembolic and haemorrhagic events following trauma and surgical procedures. However, only limited data are available on the impact of ABO-blood group types in neurosurgical patients. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the role of the ABO-blood group type on the frequency of thromboembolic and haemorrhagic complications in patients treated surgically for intracranial meningiomas at our institution.

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed the medical records of consecutive patients undergoing resection of intracranial meningiomas at our institution during a period of 12.5 years (2006-2018). Clinical characteristics, modalities of surgical treatment, histopathological results and the postoperative course of patients were analysed with specific focus on ABO-blood group typing results, need for transfusion of blood products, events of postoperative thromboembolism and intracranial re-haemorrhage requiring surgical revision, as well as in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 1,782 patients were included in this study. Based on the ABO-blood group type, patients were subdivided into four categories, corresponding to their ABO-blood group: Blood group A (n = 773; 43%); blood group B (n = 222; 12%); blood group AB (n = 88; 5%); and blood group O (n = 699; 39%). Intracranial re-haemorrhage requiring re-craniotomy and haematoma evacuation occurred in a total of 49 patients (2.7%). Thromboembolic events such as pulmonary embolism occurred in a total of 27 patients (1.5%). Statistical analysis showed no significant differences regarding the ABO-blood group type in patients suffering from re-haemorrhage or thromboembolism compared with patients with uneventful course after surgery. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 0.17% (n = 3).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest a lack of relevance of the ABO-blood group type regarding haemorrhagic and thromboembolic complications in patients undergoing neurosurgical meningioma resection.

Distributions and prognostic effects of ABO/Rh blood groups in patients with HER2/neu positive gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer

BACKGROUND

The aim of study was to look at ABO/Rh blood types frequency and prognostic significance in patients with HER2/neu positive gastric cancer.

METHODS

The study was designed retrospectively. Clinicopathological characteristics, treatment approaches, and the ABO/Rh blood groups features were noted. The ABO/Rh blood types for patients and healthy donors were compared by the Chi-square method.

RESULTS

The average age was 61 years. The average survival time was 17.9 months (13.2-22.5). ABO blood types frequencies were not similar between patients (25.9% O, 6.3% AB, 57.1% A, and 10.7% B) and control group (34.9% O, 7.9% AB, 41.9% A, and 15.3% B) (P = 0.01). Patients and controls had the same Rh factor distribution (P = 0.07).

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that A blood group frequency was increased in patients with HER2/neu receptor-positive gastric cancer than in a healthy population. Also, we detected that the frequency of O blood type was decreased. ABO/Rh blood types were not linked with prognosis for overall survival.

The frequency and prognostic significance of ABO/Rh blood groups in male breast cancer patients: A multicenter study

The study evaluated the distributions and prognostic significance of ABO and rhesus (D) groups in male breast cancer (MBC) patients. The data of 137 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical, histopathological data and ABO/Rh blood groups of the patients were recorded. The ABO/Rh blood group distributions were compared to the healthy men control group (n = 120,160) by the chi-square test. Overall distributions of ABO blood groups were different between the patients (17.5% AB, 38% A, 19% B, and 25.5% O) and control group (7.88% AB, 42.06% A, 15.22% B, and 34.84% O) (P < .001). There were significant differences between the patients and control group with respect to AB vs non-AB blood group distributions (P < .001, odds ratio: 2.43, 95% CI) and O vs non-O blood group distributions (P = .016, odds ratio: 0.62, 95% CI). However, A vs non-A and B vs non-B blood group distributions were not significantly different. The distribution of the Rh factor was similar between patients and the control group (P = .93). In univariate analysis, ABO/Rh blood groups were not a prognostic factor on OS (P = .29). The frequency of the AB blood group in MBC patients is increased than in the healthy control group. AB blood group may be a risk factor for MBC, whereas O blood group may be a protective factor.

ABO blood classification and the risk of lung cancer: A meta‑analysis and trial sequential analysis

Patients with certain ABO classifications are at increased risk of certain types of malignancies. In the present study, a meta-analysis was performed to explore the association between the ABO blood group and the risk of lung cancer from an evidence-based medical perspective. The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Medline, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Google Scholar, Science Direct and Wanfang databases were searched for relevant papers. Review Manger 5.4 was used to analyze the association between the ABO blood group and the risk of lung cancer. Trial Sequential Analysis (TSA) was used to determine whether the sample size of the meta-analysis was sufficient. A total of 29 studies were included in this paper. The results of the case-controlled studies showed that the proportion of patients with blood type A in patients with lung cancer was significantly higher than that in healthy individuals [odds ratio (OR), 1.10; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-1.19]. Based on the subgroup analysis, type A blood showed heterogeneity in ethnicity and source of control (social or hospital). Additionally, type O blood was determined to be a protective factor for lung cancer in Caucasians (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.85-0.99). TSA results suggested that there were sufficient participants in the case-controlled studies. Overall, the results of the cohort studies showed that the risk of lung cancer and blood type were weakly associated, and that the difference was not statistically significant. The case-controlled studies suggested that blood type A was associated with a higher risk of lung cancer. In addition, the analysis confirmed that Caucasians with type O blood had a lower risk of lung cancer. However, prospective cohort studies have not been able to draw this conclusion. Different experimental designs may have had a notable influence on the results obtained.

The relationship between blood groups and risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 or development of severe outcomes: A review

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is considered a global catastrophe that has overwhelmed health care systems. Since initiation of the pandemic, identification of characteristics that might influence risk of infection and poor disease outcomes have been of paramount interest. Blood group phenotypes are genetically inherited characteristics whose association with certain infectious diseases have long been debated. The aim of this review is to identify whether a certain type of blood group may influence an individual’s susceptibility to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and developing severe outcomes. Our review shows that blood group O protects individuals against SARS‐CoV‐2, whereas blood group A predisposes them to being infected. Although the association between blood groups and outcomes of COVID‐19 is not consistent, it is speculated that non‐O blood group carriers with COVID‐19 are at higher risk of developing severe outcomes in comparison to O blood group. The interaction between blood groups and SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is hypothesized to be as result of natural antibodies against blood group antigens that may act as a part of innate immune response to neutralize viral particles. Alternatively, blood group antigens could serve as additional receptors for the virus and individuals who are capable of expressing these antigens on epithelial cells, which are known as secretors, would then have a high propensity to be affected by SARS‐CoV‐2.

ABO blood group and skin cancers

Beside the role of ABO group in immunohaematology, there is accumulating evidence that the ABO blood group also plays a key role in various human disorders. The interest in blood groups and their association with disease stems from the awareness that blood group antigens are incredibly important components in the process of cell maturation and control. Studies have indicated a link between cancer and the ABO blood group. The appearance or disappearance of blood type antigens is now considered a hallmark of malignancy in many common cancers. Several tumour markers are in fact known blood group antigens. The aim of this review is to describe the history and possible functions of the ABO group and then summarize the association between blood groups and skin cancers.

Paclitaxel: Application in Modern Oncology and Nanomedicine-Based Cancer Therapy

Paclitaxel is a broad-spectrum anticancer compound, which was derived mainly from a medicinal plant, in particular, from the bark of the yew tree Taxus brevifolia Nutt. It is a representative of a class of diterpene taxanes, which are nowadays used as the most common chemotherapeutic agent against many forms of cancer. It possesses scientifically proven anticancer activity against, e.g., ovarian, lung, and breast cancers. The application of this compound is difficult because of limited solubility, recrystalization upon dilution, and cosolvent-induced toxicity. In these cases, nanotechnology and nanoparticles provide certain advantages such as increased drug half-life, lowered toxicity, and specific and selective delivery over free drugs. Nanodrugs possess the capability to buildup in the tissue which might be linked to enhanced permeability and retention as well as enhanced antitumour influence possessing minimal toxicity in normal tissues. This article presents information about paclitaxel, its chemical structure, formulations, mechanism of action, and toxicity. Attention is drawn on nanotechnology, the usefulness of nanoparticles containing paclitaxel, its opportunities, and also future perspective. This review article is aimed at summarizing the current state of continuous pharmaceutical development and employment of nanotechnology in the enhancement of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of paclitaxel as a chemotherapeutic agent.

ABO blood groups and risk of human immunodeficiency virus infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The last few decades have seen a pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which continues to cause substantial morbidity and mortality. ABO blood groups are anthropological and genetic characteristics of a population whose associations with HIV infection are still controversial. This systematic review with meta-analysis was undertaken to investigate whether certain blood groups may have associations with HIV infection. PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were systematically searched as of 6 September 2021. Grey literature was identified through screening Google Scholar, and reference lists of relevant studies. All observational studies providing data on ABO blood group distribution among HIV-infected and uninfected participants were included. Using a random effect model, risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to quantify this relationship. Fifty eligible studies with a total of 3,068,244 participants and 6508 HIV-infected cases were included. The overall analysis found that blood group AB increased the risk of HIV infection by 19% as compared with non-AB blood groups (RR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03-1.39, p = 0.02). Pooled estimates for other blood groups failed to reach statistical significance. Subgroup analyses identified a positive relationship between AB blood group and HIV infection within Asia, patient populations (as opposed to blood donors and general populations), studies with lower sample sizes, high-income countries and studies with a moderate quality score. The sequential omission and re-analysis of studies within sensitivity analyses produced no change in the overall pooled effect. In conclusion, this study identified that blood group AB carriers were more susceptible to HIV infection. Future investigations should be directed toward clarification of the exact role of ABO blood groups in HIV infection and the possible underlying mechanisms.

ABO Blood Group and the Risk of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Kashmir, a High Risk Region

BACKGROUND

ABO blood group has been linked with a number of diseases including cancer. Association of ABO blood type with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has been sparsely reported and the results are inconsistent. We undertook this study to analyze if any association exists between the ABO and Rh blood groups and ESCC risk.

METHODS

We conducted a hospital-based case control study to analyze ABO and Rh blood groups in patients with histologically proven diagnosis of ESCC and compared them with healthy donors from the same population. ABO and Rh blood group status of general population was obtained from the blood bank at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) and from original articles published from time to time. Chi-Square test was performed to look for statistical significance.

RESULTS

For this study, 206 patients were prospectively enrolled. Seventy-four (35.9%) patients had blood group O. Blood groups type A and type B was found each in 59 (28.6%) patients. In 108,014 healthy donors, 35.3% had blood type O followed by type B (33.66%). There was no significant difference in any of the blood types between patients with ESCC and donors (P = 0.31).

CONCLUSION

No association exists between ABO blood type and the risk of ESCC.

ABO blood groups and liver cancer: prospective results from an HBsAg cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The association between ABO blood group and risk of liver cancer is unclear, although few studies have reported positive results. This study examined the relationship between ABO blood group and liver cancer in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive individuals.

DESIGN

A high-risk population-based cohort study.

SETTING

The study was started in 2007 and closed in 2019; the number of observed person-years as obtained by ABO blood group.

PARTICIPANTS

The study included 3663 individuals with positive HBsAg, including men aged 30-70 and women aged 40-70.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The frequencies of ABO group in the cohort population and patients with liver cancer were calculated, respectively. χ² test was used to compare differences, and the relative risk (95% CI) for development of liver cancer was evaluated.

RESULTS

The frequency distribution of blood types A, B, O and AB was 1118 (30.52%), 1073 (29.29%), 1104 (30.14%) and 368 (10.05%), respectively, among 3663 cohort individuals. In the cohort, patients with liver cancer (n=336) were of the following frequencies: type A: 104 (30.95%); type B: 97 (28.87%); type O: 95 (28.27%); and type AB: 40 (11.90%). No significant difference was found between patients with liver cancer and other individuals. The annual incidence rate of liver cancer was 906.34 per 100 000 person-years, and for blood type A, B, O and AB the rates were 917.76, 893.78, 846.02 and 1093.43 per 100 000 person-years, respectively. The relative risk (95% CI) was 0.97 (0.74 to 1.29), 0.92 (0.70 to 1.22) and 1.19 (0.82 to 1.72) for blood types B, O and AB, respectively, compared with blood type A.

CONCLUSION

There were no significant differences in the frequency distribution of ABO blood groups in patients with liver cancer within this high-risk cohort, which demonstrates lack of positive association between ABO blood group and risk of liver cancer.

Risk factors for postpartum depression in Chinese women: A cross-sectional study at 6 weeks postpartum

OBJECTIVE

Postpartum depression (PPD) has received increasing attention due to its harmful impacts and high incidence. PPD is affected by physiological and psychological factors, but the conclusions are not uniform at present, so this study explored the risk factors of postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS) in Chinese population.

METHODS

A total of 397 women attending the obstetric department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University participated in the questionnaire survey, mainly through a cross sectional study. At 6 weeks postpartum, the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to assess PPDS and sleep quality, respectively.

RESULTS

The incidence of probable PPDS in our study population was 14.6% at 6 weeks postpartum. Women with blood group A had an almost 3-fold greater risk of PPDS than those with blood group B (OR [95% CI], 2.99 [1.43-6.28], p = 0.004). After adjusting for potential confounding variables, the blood group A phenotype was significantly more prevalent in women with PPDS compared to blood group B (OR [95% CI], 2.65 [1.23-5.70], p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to women with blood groups B, AB or O, women with blood group A had high odds of PPDS. If this result can be demonstrated and replicated in other populations, blood group A may be a useful predictor of risk for PPDS in Chinese postpartum women.

Individuals with a Rh-positive but not Rh-negative blood group are more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection: demographics and trend study on COVID-19 cases in Sudan

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In Sudan, several haematological studies were conducted to study the ABO blood group distribution among the population, in which the O blood group was dominant followed by the A blood group. However, there is no systematic study into any correlation between COVID-19 and the population's blood group types, therefore we have intended to study the possible effect of blood group on the acquisition of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A questionnaire-based case-control study was carried out on 557 individuals with COVID-19 in Sudan; factors such as age, blood group, previous malaria infection, history of ailments such as diabetes, hypertension and symptoms suffered were also considered and analysed. More women were infected than men, and individuals between 25 and 35 years were the most affected age group. O Rhesus-positive (O+) blood group was the least affected by the disease while A Rhesus-positive (A+) individuals were the most vulnerable. Fatigue, fever and loss of smell were the major symptoms among the patients, but 13% of SARS-COV-2-positive individuals remained asymptomatic. As the Sudan population is largely constituted of O Rhesus-positive inhabitants (approximately 50%) these results might explain the relatively lower COVID-19 incidence in the country.

Validation of Risk of Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia: Experience from Oncology Hospital of Nepal

Background

The majority of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy show neutropenic condition which is a common side effect of myelosuppressive chemotherapy diagnosed as the reduced complete blood cell count. Such cancer patients have a higher risk of febrile neutropenia. The present study aimed to validate whether there was a risk of neutropenia in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, Nepal.

Methods

Cross-sectional study was performed among 203 cancer patients of all age groups who attended Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital from May 2018 to January 2019 and who received a chemotherapy course. Patients receiving at least one cycle of chemotherapy as the first-line treatment were included. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25. Loglinear analysis was used to analyze more than 2×2 categories among the grades and outcome of neutropenia. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to analyze the impact of various predictor variables such as chemotherapy cycles, grades of neutropenia, and gender on the outcome of neutropenia. Variation in the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) level at various days of chemotherapy cycles was assessed with the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The p-value <0.05 was considered significant at each condition.

Results

The main cancer type during the study period was breast cancer (41, 20.2%). Out of 163 neutropenic patients, 149 had severe neutropenia and 14 had mild neutropenia. Most patients were continued up to the 6th cycle of chemotherapy. There was significant association between the grade of neutropenia and the outcome of the condition (p-value 0.017). There were significant relations of the grade of neutropenia and smoking habit with the recovering status (p values 0.033 and 0.001, respectively). The absolute neutrophil count (ANC) level increased and decreased inconsistently (statistically non-significantly) in between treatment period of day 1 to 52.

Conclusion

Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia was a common occurrence. Majority (133, 66.5%) grade 4 neutropenic patients were recovering after the chemotherapy cycles. The physicians are warranted that they be ready for any unpredictable situation during chemotherapy treatment.

AB0 Blood Group and Ovarian Cancer Survival

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy because is usually diagnosed at advanced stage. New prognostic factors have been investigated but these biomarkers do not have a strong direct relationship with survival. Several studies investigated the association between AB0 blood group with ovarian cancer but with conflicting results. We investigated the association between AB0 blood group and epithelial ovarian cancer patients consecutively surgically treated at our department from 2004 to 2015.

Methods: Clinical charts of ovarian cancer patients treated and followed from 2004 to 2015 were checked for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Clinical and pathological data were recorded in an electronic separate, anonymous, password-protected database. All relevant data were extrapolated and used for final analysis.

Results: A population of 265 ovarian cancer patients was analyzed in this study. 121 (45.6%) patients presented blood type 0, 112 (42.3%) had blood type A, 23 (8.7%) B and 9 (3.4%) AB. A significantly lower percentage of death (8.7%) in patients with blood type B in comparison with patients presenting different genotypes (group 0: 34.7%, group A: 32.1%, group AB: 22.2%) was found. In invasive serous ovarian cancer patients the analysis showed a 5 fold significant reduction of the risk of death in patients with B genotype. However, postoperative residual tumor resulted the most important prognostic factor for overall survival.

Conclusions: AB0 blood group might be a preoperative prognostic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer patients. According to the literature, postoperative residual disease remain the most important prognostic factor also in our study.