Frequency of Major Blood Group Antigens among Blood Donors at a Tertiary Level Hospital in North-East India

Background: Blood group antigens are integrated parts of the red cell membrane and they serve many essential functions. Of the many human blood group systems identified so far, the ABO and Rhesus D blood group systems are of utmost importance. ABO blood groups show a wide geographical variation and vary both within and among ethnic groups. The distribution of blood groups among different population groups is important in health care and transfusion practices. Materials and Methods: ABO and Rh grouping was done in 3000 blood donors in the State of the Art Model Blood Bank, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati. Data on the frequency of ABO and Rh (D) blood groups was reported in simple numbers and percentages. Results: The study revealed blood group O to be the commonest at 37.23 % followed by blood groups B at 31.0 %, A at 24.83 % and AB at 6.93 %. It was also noted that 98.03 % of the donors were Rh positive and the remaining 1.97 % were Rh negative. Conclusion: The present study provides information about the distribution of the major blood groups in North-east India which may be helpful in planning for transfusion services, particularly in those patients requiring repeated blood transfusions.