title: Distribution of ABO phenotypes in patients with congenital cardiac defects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac anomalies are among the most frequent congenital malformations, but the basic underlying causes for most cardiac defects remains undetermined. Some 40 years ago, a higher incidence of blood group B was reported in a small number of African-American children with congenital cardiac defects. In this study, we sought to re-evaluate this association using a larger population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We collected data from 1985 patients undergoing cardiac surgery from July, 2000, through December, 2004. We divided the patients into 6 subgroups according to their diagnosis. We then compared the prevalence of ABO phenotypes between the patients and the general population of the United States of America by chi-square analysis. There were no significant differences in the distribution of the ABO phenotypes amongst the subgroups of those with congenital cardiac disease, or any for subgroup compared to the general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While statistical significance is influenced by the size of the population within the United States of America and the small numbers within each of our subgroups of patients with congenital cardiac disease, we have been unable to show any relationship between the distribution of ABO phenotypes and the existence of congenital cardiac disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Children's Hospital, Boston, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Kirsten.odegard@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Kirsten C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Odegard
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Laussen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zurakowski
authors.forename: Stephan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hornykewycz
authors.forename: Jonathan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Laussen
authors.forename: Dolly D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System