Abstract
Background: The “ABO” blood group system is associated with some diseases including gastric and duodenal ulcer, hepatitis B1, vascular diseases, abdominal aortic aneurism, and cancers. Some epidemiological studies demonstrated the linkage among the “ABO” blood group and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Aims and Objective -This study aimed to find out the possible linkage between “ABO” and “Rhesus” blood groups with type 2 DM.

Material and Methods: This study was carried out in Department of Physiology, Muzaffarnagar Medical College and Hospital, Muzaffarnagar from April 2017 to June 2017. This study included total 1316 individuals in which 104 were diabetic patients, and 1212 individuals were non-diabetic apparently healthy controls. Diabetic patients were taken from diabetic outpatient clinics, and the controls were taken from healthy individuals coming for blood donation at blood bank of Muzaffarnagar Medical College and Hospital, Muzaffarnagar. Standard slide agglutination test for the determination of ABO and Rh blood groups was used. Data thus obtained were analyzed by applying Chi-square test to determine any association between DM and different ABO and Rh blood groups. Data were expressed as percent and absolute number of frequency.

Results: Increased frequency of blood group AB and blood group O (18.26% vs. 10.31%, 34.61% vs. 29.31%) were found in diabetes. On applying Chi-square test, statistically significant association was found between blood groups AB and O and DM (Chi-square value - 8.24, P < 0.04). Increased frequency of Rh positive blood group in diabetic (96.15% vs. 95.54%) but association between Rh blood group and diabetes was not statistically significant. (Chi-square value - 0.021, P = 0.88).

Conclusion: Blood group might be a risk factor and it can be helpful for the evaluation of the disease.

Key words: ABO Blood Group; Rh Blood Group; Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus