Favors heavy Covid history: people with a blood group are particularly at risk
A new study shows that the blood group is a strong risk factor for the progression of a Covid-19-disease. The scientists found that blood group A is vulnerable, while blood group 0 remains almost unaffected. What this means for you now.
In some people, a disease carries with Covid-19 to respiratory failure and even death, while others feel hardly any symptoms. The reasons for the very different histories are still largely unclear, but an important factor could be the blood group, as an international team of researchers in the “New England Journal of Medicine” reported.
Blood group A increases the risk by 50 percent, blood group 0 it reduces to 50 percent
Therefore, people in Germany, most common blood group A have. a nearly 50 percent higher risk for a severe course of Infection than those with other blood groups People with blood group 0 according to the study, approximately a 50 percent lower risk for a serious Covid-19-disease.
The Team of molecular biologists, Andre Franke, University hospital of Kiel, had published his results earlier as a Preprint, i.e. without peer review by independent scientists. The study is published in a renowned journal.
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The researchers had blood samples from 1610 to Covid-19 patients from seven hospitals intensively in Italy and Spain is analysed. All patients were treated with oxygen, were connected to a respirator. In addition, the researchers examined blood samples from 2205 randomly selected men and women from the same countries as the control group. They analyzed the genetic material of the people.
“Using this large amount of data, we have identified interesting regions in the genome that increase the risk for a severe course of Covid-19, respectively, to reduce” is first cited author, David ellinghaus from Kiel, in a communication of the University hospital.
Drosten warns: the blood group is just one of many risk factors in Sars-CoV-2 infection
That people with blood group A must now Worry or people can think with the blood group 0, the Virus can not harm, can not be so but it is also the case, as Charité-virologist Christian Drosten of the NDR introduced the Podcast clear: “There are so many other things that determine whether you get a severe course. About the age, and many other basic diseases,“ he said.
“We have to worry about whether the infection dose that you get at the beginning of the disease, can determine the course. There are so many things that are now unknown. Also in this study: quite a lot of additional potential other factors.“ The blood group could be Drosten, according to the only independent risk factor.
Genetic variant on chromosome 9 is associated with a severe course
The researchers identified the blood groups study a gene variant that was associated with a severe Covid-19-course, on chromosome 9. The AB0 is a Gene, of which the blood group of a person depends. Patients with blood group A had a particularly high risk for respiratory problems in the course of a Covid-19 infection, such as in Germany, are also common blood group 0 were better. In Germany, 43 per cent of the human blood group A, 11 per cent of blood group B, 5% blood group AB and 41 per cent of blood group 0 have.
With what are the absolute risks of the various blood groups are associated to a severe Covid-19-disease, on average, not determined in the study. The results fit to the results of two other Preprint-studies from China and the United States, which had examined the blood of Covid-19-patients. “These two groups have studied human serologically, we came from the genetic side,” explains Franke. “This brings additional evidence.”
The authors do not know why the blood group can affect the Severity of a Covid-19 infection. However, the Locus for the blood group was associated substances with specific inflammatory messengers. Other studies have shown that the Virus leads some Patients to an Overreaction of the immune system with strong inflammatory reactions in the body.
Also chromosome 3 may contain a genetic variant, the risk doubles
In addition to chromosome 9-localized the molecular biologists an even higher effect size for a genetic variant on chromosome 3. Which genes are responsible for this, don’t know, the scientists. Carriers of this variant had the disease compared to other people, a doubled risk for a severe Covid-19 -. Strikingly, many of these difficult Patients had blood group A.
“The results were very exciting and surprising,” says Franke. The Region on chromosome 3 was previously not yet been associated with Covid-19 in connection. “With the chromosome 3 and the AB0 blood group Locus, we describe the real causes for a severe course of Covid-19,” he says. “Our results therefore provide an excellent basis for the development of drugs that can start at the found candidate genes.” In addition, the results could improve the risk assessment for a Covid-19-history.
Interesting finding – but it needs further studies
Also, the Munich-based infections in Lodge Christoph Spinner commented on the results of the study. Whether it is a cause or a random Association, not one could say, according to him: “Since it is now in need of further studies,” he said in the Talk with FOCUS Online. In addition, a way had to be developed in order to find out why that is so.
Here you can see the Talk with Dr. Spinner: Is blood group 0 are immune to Sars-Cov-2? Infections Lodge explains
FOCUS Online you can See here, the Talk with Dr. Spinner: Is blood group 0 are immune to Sars-Cov-2? Infections Lodge explains
That there may be correlations between the blood group of a people and in certain diseases is not new. As has already been observed that people with blood group 0 less cardiovascular to develop diseases than other blood groups-types, while those with blood group AB rare high blood pressure. The reasons for these correlations have not been clarified.