Phenotypic and Allelic Frequencies of ABO and Rh(D) Blood Antigens in Ghana: A Systematic Review.

Background: ABO and Rh blood group systems are the most significant blood group systems recognized by the International Society of Blood Transfusion and are widely used for clinical and anthropological purposes. This systematic review determined the distribution and allelic frequency of ABO and Rh(D) antigens in Ghana.

Methods: Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, up to February 20, 2024, and included studies published from 2000 to 2024 in all regions of Ghana. The search terms used to retrieve the preferred literature were "Blood Group/Antigen" and "ABO and Rh(D)" and "Distribution/Frequency/Prevalence," coupled with the names of the different regions/districts/municipalities in Ghana. Similar blood group individuals from all the regions were added, and countrywide data were gathered. The Hardy-Weinberg model was used to estimate the allelic frequency of blood antigens.

Results: Blood group O (54.72%) was the predominant group in the Ghanaian population, followed by B (21.74%), A (19.65%), and AB (3.89%). Rh(D) antigen was present in 92.28% of the population, and only 7.72% were Rh(D) negative. The calculated allelic frequencies of A, B, O, Rh(D) positive, and Rh(D) negative were 0.1227, 0.1376, 0.7397, 0.7222, and 0.2778 for I(p), I(q), i(r), I(v), and I(u), respectively.

Conclusion: The phenotypic frequency of the ABO blood group occurred in the pattern O>B>A>AB, and the prevalence of the Rh(D) negative blood group was 7.72% in Ghana. Future nationwide studies are recommended to assess the distribution of ABO, Rh, and other blood group systems.