title: Association of ABO blood group with P-selectin levels in Chinese Han healthy volunteers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent genome-wide association studies in Caucasians suggested that an association exists between the ABO gene locus and soluble levels of P-selectin (sP-selectin). However, it is unclear if the relationship corresponds to the phenotypic expression of ABO groups or is present in different ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to verify this observation at both genotypic and phenotypic levels in a healthy Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ABO blood groups were determined by both phenotypes and genotypes in 440 healthy Chinese Han volunteers, while P-selectin levels were evaluated for sP-selectin and total platelet P-selectin (pP-selectin).
  
  
  RESULTS
  ABO phenotyping and quantitative analysis of individual sP-selectin plasma levels were combined to demonstrate that individuals phenotypically expressing the A antigen have approximately 20% lower sP-selectin plasma levels than those carrying the B or O phenotype (p < 0.0001), but that no difference exists between A and AB and between B and O phenotypes. Genotyping data revealed that the presence of the A gene could be attributed to the observed difference in phenotype comparison, with no difference between A/A, A/B, and A/O genotypes. There were also no associations between ABO blood groups, either phenotypes or genotypes, and pP-selectin levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated an association between sP-selectin levels and ABO groups in a Chinese Han population, implicating its generalizability to other ethnic groups. This finding will improve the understanding of the mechanism of ABO blood group-associated diseases.
authors.affiliation: Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University.|Fujian Provincial Blood Center, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Fujian Provincial Blood Center, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiaofu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.affiliation: Quanzhou Blood Center, Quanzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yisheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Fujian Provincial Blood Center, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wenhua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University.
authors.forename: Jingrong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Fujian Provincial Blood Center, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Fujian Provincial Blood Center, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Fujian Provincial Blood Center, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Cen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Fujian Provincial Blood Center, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Haijuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dettke
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D019007:P-Selectin