Blood groups in relation to carcinoma of cervix uteri

The role of the histoblood ABO group in cancer

Since the first link between blood type and cancer was described in 1953, numerous studies have sought to determine whether the histoblood ABO group is associated with tumorigenesis. In 2009, the first significant association between a SNP located within the ABO glycosyltransferase gene and increased risk of pancreatic cancer was reported. Here, we describe the history and possible functions of the histoblood ABO group and then provide evidence for a role of blood group antigens in the most common cancer types worldwide using both blood type and SNP data. We also explore whether confusion regarding the role of blood type in cancer risk may be attributable to heterogeneity within tumor types.

Lay abstract: ABO encodes the protein responsible for defining blood groups as A, B, AB or O. Despite over a century of investigation, it is not well known whether the blood group antigens have a function or if they contribute to human health. Over the last 60 years, associations between blood type and cancer risk have been reported, although the data have often been conflicting. To better understand the possible role of the ABO blood group in tumorigenesis, we review the data for the most common tumor types worldwide.

Prognostic value of ABO blood group in patients with early stage cervical cancer treated with radical hysterectomy with pelvic node dissection

This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of ABO blood groups in early-stage cervical cancer patients. The cohort included 413 patients diagnosed with stages IA2-IB1 cervical cancer who received a radical hysterectomy between 2002 and 2014. The 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were 93.13 and 96.81 % for blood group O, 87.68 and 88.22 % for blood group A, 81.66 and 89.40 % for blood group B, and 83.12 and 94.12 % for blood group AB groups, respectively. Patients were stratified for analysis as either blood group O or non-O. The 5-year RFS and OS were 93.13 and 96.81 % for blood group O and 83.66 and 89.76 % for blood group non-O, respectively. In multivariate analysis, age (P = 0.025), histology (P = 0.020), and deep stromal invasion (P = 0.006) were independent adverse prognostic factors for RFS, while the statistically significant independent prognostic factors for OS were age (P = 0.007) and parametrial involvement (P < 0.001). The Cox model did not show any significant effects of non-O blood group on survival outcome. However, a time-varying-effect Cox model revealed that the non-O blood group was associated with a worse RFS (hazard ratio (HR) 2.69, 95 % confidence interval (95%CI) 1.12-6.46, P = 0.017) and OS (HR 3.13, 95%CI 0.88-11.16, P = 0.053) during the first 5 years. These findings suggest that early-stage cervical cancer patients with a non-O blood group have poorer RFS than the O blood group, which is evidence during the first 5 years.

ABO blood groups and risk of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

For decades, studies have been performed to evaluate the association between ABO blood groups and risk of cancer. However, whether ABO blood groups are associated with overall cancer risk remains unclear. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies to assess this association.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A search of Pubmed, Embase, ScienceDirect, Wiley, and Web of Knowledge databases (to May 2013) was supplemented by manual searches of bibliographies of key retrieved articles and relevant reviews. We included case-control studies and cohort studies with more than 100 cancer cases.

RESULTS

The search yielded 89 eligible studies that reported 100,554 cases at 30 cancer sites. For overall cancer risk, the pooled OR was 1.12 (95%CI: 1.09-1.16) for A vs. non- A groups, and 0.84 (95%CI: 0.80-0.88) for O vs. non-O groups. For individual cancer sites, blood group A was found to confer increased risk of gastric cancer (OR=1.18; 95%CI: 1.13-1.24), pancreatic cancer (OR=1.23; 95%CI: 1.15-1.32), breast cancer (OR=1.12; 95%CI: 1.01-1.24), ovarian cancer (OR=1.16; 95%CI: 1.04-1.27), and nasopharyngeal cancer (OR=1.17; 95%CI: 1.00-1.33). Blood group O was found to be linked to decreased risk of gastric cancer (OR=0.84; 95%CI: 0.80-0.88), pancreatic cancer (OR=0.75; 95%CI: 0.70-0.80), breast cancer (OR=0.90; 95%CI: 0.85-0.95), colorectal cancer (OR=0.89; 95%CI: 0.81-0.96), ovarian cancer (OR=0.76; 95%CI: 0.53-1.00), esophagus cancer (OR=0.94; 95%CI: 0.89-1.00), and nasopharyngeal cancer (OR=0.81; 95%CI: 0.70-0.91).

CONCLUSIONS

Blood group A is associated with increased risk of cancer, and blood group O is associated with decreased risk of cancer.

Significance of blood group and social factors in carcinoma cervix in a semi-urban population in India

BACKGROUND

To assess the significance of social factors as risk factors for carcinoma cervix and to determine the significance of blood group to prevalence of carcinoma cervix in a semi-urban population of Kolar, Karnataka, India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred cases of carcinoma cervix were included in the study, along with 200 females of the same ages considered as controls. Case details were collected from the hospital record section regarding social factors and blood groups and the data were analyzed by descriptive statistical methods.

RESULTS

Blood group B showed the highest number of cases (55 cases) followed by blood group O (29 cases) in carcinoma cervix which was statistically significant (p<0.001). Age of marriage between 11 to 20 years showed highest number of carcinoma cervix cases (77 cases) and this also was statistically significant (p<0.001). Patients with rural background were 75 (p=0.112, odds ratio: 1.54), parity of more than or equal to two constituted 96 cases (p=0.006, odds ratio: 4.07) and Hindu patients were 95 in number (p=0.220, odds ratio: 1.89).

CONCLUSIONS

Blood group B and age of marriage between 11 and 20 years were significantly associated with carcinoma cervix in our population. Region of residence, parity and religion presented with a altered risk for carcinoma cervix.

Expression of histo-blood group A antigen increases resistance to apoptosis and facilitates escape from immune control of rat colon carcinoma cells

A and B histo-blood group antigens are present on carcinoma cells at the early stages of cancerogenesis and tend to disappear at later stages, but it is not yet clear whether they take part to the process of tumor progression. To gain some insight into this issue, we used a rat colon carcinoma experimental model. To obtain expression of the A antigen, REG cells were cotransfected with the rat A enzyme cDNA and a rat alpha1,2fucosyltransferase cDNA, either FTA or FTB, whereas PRO cells that spontaneously have alpha1,2fucosyltransferase activity were only transfected with the A enzyme cDNA. All A antigen-expressing transfected cells derived from either REG FTA, REG FTB, or PRO parental cells were more resistant to apoptosis induced by either serum deprivation or heat shock than were their respective controls. When injected to syngeneic immunocompetent rats, A enzyme-transfected PRO cells formed tumors that grew faster than those formed by mock-transfected PRO cells. However, in immunodeficient SCID mice, no difference in growth could be observed between the two types of tumors, indicating that the faster tumor growth of the A antigen-positive cells in immunocompetent animals was due to their higher ability to escape immune control and that this was associated with their higher degree of resistance to apoptosis. These results might explain the slightly augmented incidence of carcinomas observed in A and B blood group individuals compared to O individuals.

Blood group antigens: molecules seeking a function?

The blood group antigens have been dismissed by some researchers as merely 'icing on the cake' of glycoprotein structures. The fact that there are no lethal mutations and individuals have been described lacking ABO, H and Lewis antigens seems to lend weight to the argument. This paper reviews the research which suggests that these antigens do indeed have function and argues that blood group antigens play important roles in modulation of protein activity, infection and cancer. It explores the evidence and poses questions as to the relevance and implications of the results.