Does the ABO blood group associate with peptic ulcer disease?

Background: Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is considered as an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Numerous studies have linked PUD with the ABO blood groups. However, such studies are lacking in Libya. This study aims to investigate the association between ABO blood groups and patients with PUD, and assess if sex and age are linked to the increased incidence of PUD. Further evaluation of the most prevalent type of peptic ulcer and determining the dominant blood group for each ulcer type are also objectives. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at Tripoli University Hospital. A total of 150 Libyan participants were divided into PUD patients (n=75) and controls (n=75). The slide agglutination method was employed for ABO blood grouping. Data were analyzed statistically using IBM SPSS version 26. Results: Among PUD patients, 48% were between the ages of 16 and 30. 58.7% of patients were females, while 41.3% were males. A significant association between PUD and factors (gender and age) was observed when compared to controls (p<0.05). The distribution of ABO blood groups shows that blood group O is the most prevalent blood group among samples (51% in the PUD and 37% in controls), although was not statistically different (p=0.318). Gastric ulcer incidence was higher (64.0%) compared to duodenal ulcer (36.0%). However, no statistically significant relationship was observed between blood groups and ulcer types. Conclusion: Although PUD was more common in patients with blood group O, this association was not statistically significant. Both gender and age are likely risk factors for PUD. These findings suggest no correlation between ABO blood group system and PUD.