Percentage Expression of Lewis B, Rh-e, N and ABO Antigens in descents of Bonny Kingdom, River, State, Nigeria.

Introduction: The presence of rare blood group antibodies in the blood of donors/recipients stimulate red cell alloimmunization and constitute a major cause of transfusion related reaction after a compatible ABO cross match, yet remain one of the less routinely assessed prior to blood donation and transfusion in Nigeria. This cross-sectional study was carried out among indigenes of Bonny kingdom in Rivers State Nigeria to access the percentage expression of Lewis B, Rh-e, N and ABO antigens in descent of Bonny Kingdom Rivers State Nigeria. Materials and Methods:- One hundred and twenty (120) apparently healthy subjects consisting of sixty (60) females and sixty (60) males aged between 18-50 years all indigenes of Bonny Kingdom were recruited by structured questionnaire for the study. 4mls of venipuncture blood was aseptically collected from each participant into vacutainer bottle containing 0.5 mL of 1.2 mg/mL dipottasium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid anticoagulant and a 5% cell suspension was prepared and used to determine the various blood groups antigens using the standard tube Agglutination technique. Results: Results obtained shows a total of 94.1% (113) of the participants expressed Rh-e antigen, 45.8% (55) male and 48.3% (58) females. 7.5% (9) of the participants expressed the N antigen, 3.3% (4) male and 4.2% (5) females. 4.2% (5) of the study population expressed Lewis B antigen, 2.5% (3) males and 1.7% (2) female. The ABO system showed 68.5% (79) O blood group, 29.1% (35) male and 36.7% (44) female. 22(18.3%) typed for A blood group, 11.6% (14) male and 6.7% (8) female. For B blood group 14.2% (17) persons were typed, 7.5% (9) male and 6.7% (8) female while 1.6% (2) persons were typed as AB and they are all females. Conclusion: Rh-e phenotype occurred highest among the study participants. The proportion of the population without the expression of these antigens of the blood group tested has the potential to be alloimmunized during blood transfusion and develop antibodies, some of which can be responsible for transfusion reactions and haemolytic disease of the new born. This study has provided baseline data on the distribution of some blood group antigens in the Bonny Kingdom of Rivers State in Nigeria. Based on the finding in this study, it is recommended that Rh-e grouping be carried out on pregnant mothers, blood donors and recipients before transfusion; while Lewis B and N blood groups may be subjected to expansive population testing.