The role of the histoblood ABO group in cancer

Figures & data

Figure 1.  Structure of the ABO gene locus and nucleotide sequences of A, B and O alleles.

Diagram of exon organization of the protein coding sequences (under shaded).

Reprinted with permission from the Tokushima Medical Association [11].

^†Entirely different deduced a.a sequence in O alleles due to frame-shifting caused by single base pair deletion.

a.a.: Amino acid; bp: Base pair; nt.: Nucleotide position.

Table 1.  Summary of data from published meta-analyses evaluating the relationships between ABO blood group types and cancer risk.

Study (year)	Tumor site	Study design	Results	Ref.
Iodice et al. (2010)	Pancreatic	5,403 cases/125,893 controls	Decreased risk in patients with O compared with non-O blood type (SRR^a, 0.79; 95% CI: 0.70–0.90)	[19]
Miao et al. (2014)	Breast	9.665 cases/244,768 controls	Increased risk for blood type A compared with type O (OR: 1.115; 95% CI: 0.992–1.254)	[20]
			Increased risk for blood type B compared with type O (OR: 0.983; 95% CI: 0.915–1.056)
			Increased risk for blood type AB compared with type O (OR: 1.042; 95% CI: 0.881–1.231)
Poole et al. (2012)	Ovarian	5,233 cases/6,837 controls	Moderately increased risk with A blood type compared with type O (OR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.01–1.18; p = 0.03)	[21]
Risch et al. (2013)	Pancreatic	10,415 cases/869,044 controls	Increased risk with A blood type compared with type O in both cytotoxin-associated gene A nonendemic and endemic populations (ORpooled: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.32–1.49)	[22]
			Increased risk with blood types B and AB compared with type O with nonendemic populations (OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.16–1.64; and OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.24–1.85, respectively)
Wang et al. (2012)	Gastric	1,045 cases/53,026 controls	Increased risk for blood group A compared with non-A (OR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.07–1.15)	[18]
			Decreased risk blood group O compared with non-O (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.89–0.94)
Zhang et al. (2014)	Overall	82 case–control/seven cohort studies	Increase risk with A blood group compared with non-A (OR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.09–1.16)	[23]
			Decreased risk O blood group compared with non-O (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.80–0.88)
Zhang et al. (2014)	Gastric	82 case–control/seven cohort studies	Increase risk with A blood group compared with non-A (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.13–1.24)	[23]
			Decreased risk with O blood group compared with non-O (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.80–0.88)
Zhang et al. (2014)	Pancreatic	82 case–control/seven cohort studies	Increased risk with A blood group compared with non-A (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.15–1.32)	[23]
			Decreased risk with O blood group compared with non-O (OR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.70–0.80)
Zhang et al. (2014)	Breast	82 case–control/seven cohort studies	Increased risk with A blood group compared with non-A (OR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.01–1.24)	[23]
			Decreased risk with O blood group compared with non-O (OR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.85–0.95)
Zhang et al. (2014)	Colorectal	82 case–control/seven cohort studies	Decreased risk with O blood group compared with non-O (OR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.81–0.96)	[23]
Zhang et al. (2014)	Ovarian	82 case–control/seven cohort studies	Increased risk with A blood group compared with non-A (OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.04–1.27)	[23]
			Decreased risk with O blood group compared with non-O (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.53–1.00)
Zhang et al. (2014)	Esophageal	82 case–control/seven cohort studies	Increased risk with B blood group compared with non-B (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.04–1.32)	[23]
			Decreased risk with O blood group compared with non-O (OR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.89–1.00)
Zhang et al. (2014)	Lung	82 case–control/seven cohort studies	Decreased risk with B blood group compared with non-B (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.66–0.95)	[23]
Zhang et al. (2014)	Nasopharyngeal	82 case–control/seven cohort studies	Increased risk for A blood group compared with non-A (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.00–1.33)	[23]
			Decreased risk for O blood group compared with non-O (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.70–0.91)

OR: Odds ratio; SRR^a: Summary relative risk.

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