Relationship of ABO Blood Group Antibodies and Coronavirus SARS-CoV2i

Abstract

SARS-CoV2 has sparked concerns for the worldwide community due to a lack of a vaccine and limited therapeutic options to combat infection. During the spread of a similar infection, SARS-CoV1, a correlation was observed between ABO blood group, related antibodies, and the susceptibility of individuals to infection, as well as the severity of infection. This has led to an interest to investigate whether there is a relationship between SARS-CoV2 and ABO blood group antibodies. This study aimed to interrogate the relationship between ABO antibodies and SARS-CoV2 through the provision of a comprehensive literature review of emerging data. PRISMA-P guidelines were used to facilitate the development and reporting of a systematic review protocol. Implementation of the protocol provisionally identified 692 articles of interest, following exclusion of 678 articles, 14 remained and were included in this review. Interrogation of the literature identified that group O individuals, having anti-A/-B in their plasma, were the least susceptible to acquiring SARS-CoV2. The ABO antibodies were suggested to bind to the carbohydrate ABH-like structures expressed on the viral envelope. This caused steric hindrance and blocking of the interaction of SARS-CoV2 virion surface ‘spike’ protein with its target for cell infection, angiotensin-converting-enzyme2 receptor, found on many human epithelial cells. It was also observed that individuals with high titres of ABO antibodies, specifically anti-A, were provided with greater protection against SARS-CoV2 infection. These findings indicate a significant link between ABO antibodies and SARS-CoV2, potentially offering a means to predict the susceptibility of an individual to acquiring the virus.