ABO blood groups, Rhesus factor, and Behçet's disease.

Introduction: Recently, numerous studies have been carried out to explain the genetics and immunopathogenesis of Behçet's disease (BD). There is still insufficient understanding of its etiopathogenesis, but substantial genetic and immune system abnormalities have been suggested. Several studies have shown remarkable associations of ABO blood groups with various diseases. This study investigated the relationship between ABO and Rhesus (D) blood groups and Behçet's disease in Turkish patients.

Methods: Clinical data on gender, ABO, and Rhesus blood type of patients with BD were collected at the Kayseri Education and Research Hospital from 2005 to 2012. A total of 115 patients with BD were assessed for their association with ABO or Rhesus (D) blood groups and compared with the distribution of the blood groups of 25,701 healthy donors admitted to the Kayseri Education and Research Hospital Blood Center in 2010 and 2011.

Results: The distribution of ABO and Rhesus blood groups in patients with BD was similar to the healthy donors. No relationship was found between ABO or Rhesus blood groups and BD at our hospital.

Conclusion: Further studies with a larger series and in different centers may be valuable for identifying the association between ABO or Rhesus (D) blood groups and BD.