Association Between ABO Blood Groups and Severity of Chronic Periodontitis

The aim of this study was to investigate if there is an association between ABO blood group and severity of chronic periodontitis. Data were collected from 161 chronic periodontitis patients. Medical history, dental history, and periodontal parameters (such as probing depth, clinical attachment loss, and distance from cemento-enamel junction to gingival margin, furcations, and mobility and missing teeth) were recorded. Blood samples were analyzed to determine blood group and Rhesus factor. The mean age of the study sample was 34.5 years (± 13); there was no significant difference among ABO blood groups (p = 0.3). Gender distribution was also similar among groups. Periodontal parameters were compared among all ABO groups except for the AB group owing to its small sample size. Mean clinical attachment loss (CAL) and mean proportion of sites with CAL ≥ 3 mm were the greatest among group B, and the differences among groups were significant (p < 0.05). Other clinical parameters were not significantly different among groups. Significant relationships were determined between ABO blood type and the severity of chronic periodontitis. Patients with group B were found to be at greater risk of developing more severe form of periodontitis. Further, long-term studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm this conclusion.