Assessment of Rhesus D Distribution in Blood Group of Individuals and the Relationship with Bleeding Time

Relationship between Rhesus factor and bleeding time in blood group O subjects selected randomly
from Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State, Nigeria was investigated, using standard antisera and
Duke’s method. Group O+ subects had shorter bleeding time (1.32 ± 0.41 min) than O- (1.33 ± 0.37
min). Gender-wise, group O+ females had shorter bleeding time (1.30 ± 0.40 min) than male O+ (1.34
± 0.42 min), and males with O- blood type had shorter bleeding time (1.20 ± 0.39 min) than female O-
(1.39 ± 0.37 min). Comparison within same gender shows that group O+ males had longer bleeding
time (1.34 ± 0.42 min) than O- males (1.20 ± 0.39 min) and the females with blood type O+ had shorter
bleeding time (1.30 ± 0.40 min) than O- females (1.39 ± 0.37 min). All these observed differences
were statistically significant at p< 0.05. In conclusion, the current study suggests that generally, blood
group O+ individuals have shorter bleeding time than O-. Bleeding time appear prolonged in O+ males
than O+ females and prolonged in O- females than O- males. Within gender, O+ males appear to have
longer bleeding time than O- males, while O+ females have shorter bleeding time than O- females. In
conclusion, the presence of antigen D (Rhesus factor) in blood group O individuals appears to be
associated with reduced bleeding time compared to blood group O people without Rhesus factor.
However, in males the present investigation did not show same trend. We recommend further studies
to elucidate these observations: Elaborate general and gender-based study on possible genetic
interaction between the VwF and antigen D.