title: Trend of blood groups and Rh factor in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of different blood groups and Rh factors in a random population sample from urban and rural areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad region of Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood group and Rh factor determination was carried out by the antigen-antibody agglutination test from October 2003 to October 2004, and encompassed 2518 subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentages of various groups among male and female subjects, respectively, were recorded as 27.01% and 24.02% (for blood group A), 33.75% and 32.87% (for blood group B), 8.93% and 11.20% (for blood group AB) and 30.31% and 31.91% (for blood group O). The Rh positive and negative distribution in the studied population was 92.45% and 7.55% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The determination of the frequency of blood groups in the region would not only help in blood transfusion services, but also eliminate the risk of erythroblastosis foetalis in the neonates.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Division, National Institute of Health, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mohammad Shoaib
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Najam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Farooq
authors.forename: Nosheen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Qamar
authors.forename: Faheem
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tahir
authors.forename: Fazli
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Subhan
authors.forename: Birjees Mazhar
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Kazi
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiyaz
authors.forename: Karamat A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Karamat
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics; D000483:Alleles; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010641:Phenotype; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System