- Email: [email protected]
A contribution to the hypothesis of a “little more fitness” of blood group O
A Contribution to the Hypothesis o f a "Little More Fitness" o f Blood Group O
G. J6rgensen ]nstitut.fiir Humangenetik der UniversitM, zVikolausberger I4"eg 5 a, D-3400G~ttingen, West Germany
As a result of world-wide investigations on the correlation between blood groups and diseases it has been found that different types of carcinoma a n d other diseases like diabetes mellitus, cardiac infarction, pernicious anaemia, nephrolithiasis, fractures of the femoral neck, rheumatic diseases etc. are more frequent in blood group A t h a n in blood group O. O n l y ulcus duodeni a n d ulcus ventriculi show a significant prevalence of blood group" O. T h e r e are doubts a b o u t the usefulness of the blood donors for sampling purposes. T h e O blood group is p r e d o m i n a n t amongst them. T h a t this is a consequence of the formerly popular opinion, that individuals with blood group O are universal blood donors, is possible, but not proved. A relative predominance of O-blood group donors could also be resultant from the fact that a m o n g the diseases which reveal a prevalence of a certain
Blood g r o u p , age, s p o r t a n d ndlltat~/service (J6rgensen, 1968)
Table I •
i
j.
l
,
m
•
it
t
.
t.
ii
.
l
_
,
i
Phenotypes Sample group
Sample r . . number A
.
Southern Lower Saxony 694 311 Germany, representative sample 81,985 35,943 Blood donors in ~ttingen 2000 877 Old people (75 years and older) 346 120 Surgically treated patients (75 years and older) 614 296 Athletes less than 40 years of age 683 287 (less than 30 years) (542) (230) Athletes of 40 years of age and 134 older 340 181 Active soldiers 484 Soldiers liable to 447 military service 1005 L =
u
i
i
. . . A (%)
44.8
.
. . B
B (%)
~ O
71
10.2
273
43.84 10,123
•
. . . . . . . . . . O (%) AB AB (%)
39.3
12.34 31,773
39
5.6
38.75 4146
5.05
43.8
166
8-3
859
43.0
98
4.9
34.7
44
12-7
170
49.1
12
3-5
48.2
66
10-7
216
35.3
36
5.8
42.0
73
10-7
273
40.0
50
7.3
(42.4)
(60)
(11.1)
(214)
(39.5)
(38)
(7.0)
39.4 37.4
32 56
9.4 11-6
159 219
46.8 45.2
15 28
4.4 5-8
44.5
96
419
41-7
43
4.3
i
9-5 =
•
i.
m
Journal of Human Evolution (1977) 6, 741-743
l=
JORGENSEN
742
G.
Table 2
Distribution of gene frequencies .
.
.
.
II
Sample number
Sample group Southern Lower Saxony, representative sample* Germany, representative sample~ Blood donors in GSttingen Old people (75 years and older) Surgically treated patients (75 year~ and older) Athletes less than 40 years of age (less than 30 years) Athletes of 40 years of age and older Active soldiers Soldiers liable to military service
l
p{a)
qta}
r(°}
p + q+ r
694 819,858 2000 346
0.2960 0.2851 0.2841 0.2136
0.0827 0.0911 0.0683 0.0745
0.6272 0"6225 0.6554 0.7009
1.0059 0.9987 1"0078 0"9890
614 683 (542) 340 484 1005
0.3218 0.2880 (0.2887) 0.2503 0.2464 0.284,5
0.0868 0.0944 (0.0950) 0.0716 0.0911 0.0716
0"5933 0"6325 (0.6285) 0.6840 0"6723 0.6458
1"0019 1.0149 (1.0122) 1'0059 1"0098 1"0019
* ByJbrgensen, G. (1967). Itumangenetik 3, 264. t By Fischer, W. (1942). Ver~ffentl. a.d. Geb.d. Volksgesundhelt 54, 173.
Table 3
Blood g r o u p , age, s p o r t a n d m i l i t a r y s e r v i c e ( J 6 r g e n s e n , 1968) =,
_
L
-
.
--
Control group I*, n = 694
Sample group Blood donors, G6ttingen Old people (75 years and older) Surgically treated patients (75 years and older) Athletes less than 40 years of age (less than 30 years) Athletes of 40 years of age and older Active soldiers Soldiers liable to military ser-cice
Sample Cornnumber parison
Relative incidence x~ .r (m = 1)
,
= ~
,
Control group I I t , n = 81,985
p
R,A~ti ce inciden ~,e 2,:"
xs ( = 1)
p
,'--,0'25
1.11
4-4553
,,-0.035
,~0.001
1.60
2000
O :A
1-12
346
O :A
1.61
614
A: O
1.20
2.2948
,-,0.08
1.2I
4-5719
,-,.,0.035
683
O :A
1.08
0-3336
,-,.43.6
1.08
0.7378
,..,,0.4
340 484
O :A O :A
1-35 1.38
7-5013 6-0826
,~0.005 ,-,,0.014
1-34 1-36
9"9368 9"7852
,--0.001 --,0.001
1005
O :A
1.07
0-3745
,--,0.6
1-07
0-1074
.'-.0.75
1.40~3 10-86
15-68
~0.0001
(542)
* By J6rgensen, G. (1967). Humangenetik 3, 264. t By Fischer, W. (1942). Verg~kntl. a.d. Geb.d. Volksgesundheit. 54, 173.
BLOOD
GROUP
743
0
Table 4 _
Sample group
_
j
=
-
Sample r. . . . . . . . . . . number A A (%) B
Southern Lower Saxony 694 representative sample* Germany, representative 81,985 sample~f 2000 Blood donors in GOttingen* Old people (75 years and 556 older) * Surgically treated patients (75 years and older) 614 (University clinic)+ Surgically treated patients (75 years and older) 1260 (Total)+ 473 Docto~ (75 years and older) Doctors and old people (75 years and older) 1029 Together
311 35,943 877
44.8
71
--
-
Phenotypes ~ B (%) O 10"2
273
,
~
O (%)
AB
• AB (%)
39.3
39
5.6
43.84 10,123 43.8 166
12.34 31,773 8"3 859
38.75 4146 43.0 98
5.05 4.9
193
34.71
62
11.15
274
49.28
27
4.86
296
48.2
66
I0'8
216
35.3
36
5.8
573 172
45.48 36-36
137 39
10.87 8"25
476 236
37.78 49.89
74 26
5.87 5.50
365
35.47
101
9.82
510
49.56
53
5.15
* By J6rgensen, G. (1967). Hunzangenetik 3, 264. t By Fischer, W. (1942). Ver6ffentl. a.d.Geb.d. Volksgesundheit 54, 173. ~, By J6rgensen, G.
blood group the first to be found are associated predominantly with blood group A. It is possible that individuals with blood group A are, on the average, more prone to disease a n d thus less able to donate blood than individuals with blood group O. It seems possible that individuals with group O are, on the whole, a little "fitter" than those with group A. These facts lcd us to the hypothesis of a "little more fitness" of blood group O. This hypothesis is confirmed here by extensive investigations on people over 75 years of age, on active soldiers in the Federal A r m y a n d on doctors aged over 75 years.* U n d e r present living conditions, people with blood group O have a 60 % greater chance of living to the age of 75 years and over than people with blood group A. Adapted from: J6rgensen, G. (1975). ABO-Blutgruppen bei fiber 75jiihrigen ~rzten: ein weiterer Beitrag zur Hypothese der "little-more-fitness" der Blutgruppe O. In (U. Schaefer) Verhandlungen der Gessellschaft fiir Anthropologie und ttumangenetik 13. Tagung 1973 in Giellen. Stuttgart: G. Fischer/Verlag, pp. 183-190 (where the bibliography Ls to be found).
* In the meantime the size of the sample has been doubled and the results are even more unequivocal.
G. J6rgensen ]nstitut.fiir Humangenetik der UniversitM, zVikolausberger I4"eg 5 a, D-3400G~ttingen, West Germany
As a result of world-wide investigations on the correlation between blood groups and diseases it has been found that different types of carcinoma a n d other diseases like diabetes mellitus, cardiac infarction, pernicious anaemia, nephrolithiasis, fractures of the femoral neck, rheumatic diseases etc. are more frequent in blood group A t h a n in blood group O. O n l y ulcus duodeni a n d ulcus ventriculi show a significant prevalence of blood group" O. T h e r e are doubts a b o u t the usefulness of the blood donors for sampling purposes. T h e O blood group is p r e d o m i n a n t amongst them. T h a t this is a consequence of the formerly popular opinion, that individuals with blood group O are universal blood donors, is possible, but not proved. A relative predominance of O-blood group donors could also be resultant from the fact that a m o n g the diseases which reveal a prevalence of a certain
Blood g r o u p , age, s p o r t a n d ndlltat~/service (J6rgensen, 1968)
Table I •
i
j.
l
,
m
•
it
t
.
t.
ii
.
l
_
,
i
Phenotypes Sample group
Sample r . . number A
.
Southern Lower Saxony 694 311 Germany, representative sample 81,985 35,943 Blood donors in ~ttingen 2000 877 Old people (75 years and older) 346 120 Surgically treated patients (75 years and older) 614 296 Athletes less than 40 years of age 683 287 (less than 30 years) (542) (230) Athletes of 40 years of age and 134 older 340 181 Active soldiers 484 Soldiers liable to 447 military service 1005 L =
u
i
i
. . . A (%)
44.8
.
. . B
B (%)
~ O
71
10.2
273
43.84 10,123
•
. . . . . . . . . . O (%) AB AB (%)
39.3
12.34 31,773
39
5.6
38.75 4146
5.05
43.8
166
8-3
859
43.0
98
4.9
34.7
44
12-7
170
49.1
12
3-5
48.2
66
10-7
216
35.3
36
5.8
42.0
73
10-7
273
40.0
50
7.3
(42.4)
(60)
(11.1)
(214)
(39.5)
(38)
(7.0)
39.4 37.4
32 56
9.4 11-6
159 219
46.8 45.2
15 28
4.4 5-8
44.5
96
419
41-7
43
4.3
i
9-5 =
•
i.
m
Journal of Human Evolution (1977) 6, 741-743
l=
JORGENSEN
742
G.
Table 2
Distribution of gene frequencies .
.
.
.
II
Sample number
Sample group Southern Lower Saxony, representative sample* Germany, representative sample~ Blood donors in GSttingen Old people (75 years and older) Surgically treated patients (75 year~ and older) Athletes less than 40 years of age (less than 30 years) Athletes of 40 years of age and older Active soldiers Soldiers liable to military service
l
p{a)
qta}
r(°}
p + q+ r
694 819,858 2000 346
0.2960 0.2851 0.2841 0.2136
0.0827 0.0911 0.0683 0.0745
0.6272 0"6225 0.6554 0.7009
1.0059 0.9987 1"0078 0"9890
614 683 (542) 340 484 1005
0.3218 0.2880 (0.2887) 0.2503 0.2464 0.284,5
0.0868 0.0944 (0.0950) 0.0716 0.0911 0.0716
0"5933 0"6325 (0.6285) 0.6840 0"6723 0.6458
1"0019 1.0149 (1.0122) 1'0059 1"0098 1"0019
* ByJbrgensen, G. (1967). Itumangenetik 3, 264. t By Fischer, W. (1942). Ver~ffentl. a.d. Geb.d. Volksgesundhelt 54, 173.
Table 3
Blood g r o u p , age, s p o r t a n d m i l i t a r y s e r v i c e ( J 6 r g e n s e n , 1968) =,
_
L
-
.
--
Control group I*, n = 694
Sample group Blood donors, G6ttingen Old people (75 years and older) Surgically treated patients (75 years and older) Athletes less than 40 years of age (less than 30 years) Athletes of 40 years of age and older Active soldiers Soldiers liable to military ser-cice
Sample Cornnumber parison
Relative incidence x~ .r (m = 1)
,
= ~
,
Control group I I t , n = 81,985
p
R,A~ti ce inciden ~,e 2,:"
xs ( = 1)
p
,'--,0'25
1.11
4-4553
,,-0.035
,~0.001
1.60
2000
O :A
1-12
346
O :A
1.61
614
A: O
1.20
2.2948
,-,0.08
1.2I
4-5719
,-,.,0.035
683
O :A
1.08
0-3336
,-,.43.6
1.08
0.7378
,..,,0.4
340 484
O :A O :A
1-35 1.38
7-5013 6-0826
,~0.005 ,-,,0.014
1-34 1-36
9"9368 9"7852
,--0.001 --,0.001
1005
O :A
1.07
0-3745
,--,0.6
1-07
0-1074
.'-.0.75
1.40~3 10-86
15-68
~0.0001
(542)
* By J6rgensen, G. (1967). Humangenetik 3, 264. t By Fischer, W. (1942). Verg~kntl. a.d. Geb.d. Volksgesundheit. 54, 173.
BLOOD
GROUP
743
0
Table 4 _
Sample group
_
j
=
-
Sample r. . . . . . . . . . . number A A (%) B
Southern Lower Saxony 694 representative sample* Germany, representative 81,985 sample~f 2000 Blood donors in GOttingen* Old people (75 years and 556 older) * Surgically treated patients (75 years and older) 614 (University clinic)+ Surgically treated patients (75 years and older) 1260 (Total)+ 473 Docto~ (75 years and older) Doctors and old people (75 years and older) 1029 Together
311 35,943 877
44.8
71
--
-
Phenotypes ~ B (%) O 10"2
273
,
~
O (%)
AB
• AB (%)
39.3
39
5.6
43.84 10,123 43.8 166
12.34 31,773 8"3 859
38.75 4146 43.0 98
5.05 4.9
193
34.71
62
11.15
274
49.28
27
4.86
296
48.2
66
I0'8
216
35.3
36
5.8
573 172
45.48 36-36
137 39
10.87 8"25
476 236
37.78 49.89
74 26
5.87 5.50
365
35.47
101
9.82
510
49.56
53
5.15
* By J6rgensen, G. (1967). Hunzangenetik 3, 264. t By Fischer, W. (1942). Ver6ffentl. a.d.Geb.d. Volksgesundheit 54, 173. ~, By J6rgensen, G.
blood group the first to be found are associated predominantly with blood group A. It is possible that individuals with blood group A are, on the average, more prone to disease a n d thus less able to donate blood than individuals with blood group O. It seems possible that individuals with group O are, on the whole, a little "fitter" than those with group A. These facts lcd us to the hypothesis of a "little more fitness" of blood group O. This hypothesis is confirmed here by extensive investigations on people over 75 years of age, on active soldiers in the Federal A r m y a n d on doctors aged over 75 years.* U n d e r present living conditions, people with blood group O have a 60 % greater chance of living to the age of 75 years and over than people with blood group A. Adapted from: J6rgensen, G. (1975). ABO-Blutgruppen bei fiber 75jiihrigen ~rzten: ein weiterer Beitrag zur Hypothese der "little-more-fitness" der Blutgruppe O. In (U. Schaefer) Verhandlungen der Gessellschaft fiir Anthropologie und ttumangenetik 13. Tagung 1973 in Giellen. Stuttgart: G. Fischer/Verlag, pp. 183-190 (where the bibliography Ls to be found).
* In the meantime the size of the sample has been doubled and the results are even more unequivocal.