Association of Blood Group Antigen Secretor Status and Diseases of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Approximately 80% of the population secretes their blood group antigens in their saliva and other body fluids while others do not. These antigens in the digestive secretions have an association with the development of the diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In this context, we did a case control study to test if there is any association between the blood antigen secretor status and the development of various gastrointestinal diseases. We studied 178 people (92 males and 86 females) with various GI symptoms attended to Government Medical College, Trissur. The sample contained people of age ranging from 18- 85. We found the disease statuses of individuals using endoscopy (esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy), biopsy and histopathological examination. We analyzed the results using Pearson chi square test. In conclusion we found no statistically significant association between secretor status and gastro intestinal diseases.