ABO Blood Group System and Periodontal Disease Indices: A Cross-Sectional Study in Greek Adults

Introduction: Periodontal disease (PD) development has been associated with the presence of causative microorganisms, host immunity and risk factors, whereas the types of periodontal diseases are characterized by interactions between host and bacteria. Moreover, ABO blood groups are the most investigated erythrocyte antigen system. However, a small number of researches have been focused on the possible associations between ABO blood groups and periodontal diseases. Methods: A cross-sectional, epidemiological study was carried out on 854 individuals, 404 males and 450 females, aged 45 to 77. The study sample was interviewed and underwent an oral and dental clinical examination. The assessment of the possible associations between several indices of PD, such as Probing Pocket Depth (PPD), Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL) and Bleeding on Probing (BOP) as dependent variables and ABO blood groups A, B, AB, and O as independent ones was carried out by using a multiple regression analysis model. Results: Individuals with blood group A [OR= 2.94, 95% CI = 1.27-3.96] and B [OR= 2.66, 95% CI = 1.11-3.87] were significantly associated with the risk of developing deeper periodontal pockets (PPD) and worse values of attachment loss (CAL) [OR= 2.42, 95% CI= 1.37-3.85] and [OR= 2.31,95% CI=1.25-3.68], respectively. However, no significant associations were recorded between ABO blood groups and BOP [OR= 1.04, 95% CI= 0.92-1.18]. Conclusion: A significant association was revealed between A and B blood groups and deeper periodontal pockets and worse attachment loss, whereas no associations were observed between ABO blood groups and bleeding of probing.