P Blood Group and Proneness to Urinary Tract Infection in Japanese Children

Abstract

The globoseries of glycotipids are antigens in the P blood group system as well as epithelial cell receptors for nropathogenic Escherichia coli. The P₁ blood group is overrepresented in Swedish girls with recurrent pyelonephritis. In this study, Japanese children with urinary tract infection (UTI) were analyzed for P blood group phenotype. Out of 26 children with recurrent UTI, 50% were of the P₁ blood group compared to the 31% of P₁ individuals in the Japanese population at large (p<0.05). Of children defined as having febrile UTI 62% were P₁. The P₁ blood group was thus significantly enriched (3.5 times) in the children with febrile UTI. These results support the hypothesis that individuals of blood group P₁ ran an increased risk for recurrent pyelonephritis.