Worse Health Status and Higher Incidence of Health Disorders in Rhesus Negative Subjects

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 10; no. 10; p. e0141362
• Main Authors: Flegr, Jaroslav, Hoffmann, Rudolf, Dammann, Mike
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 23.10.2015; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Ammonia; Blood & organ donations; Blood groups; Carbon dioxide; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disorders; Erythrocytes; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Health Status; Heart; Hematology; Heterozygote advantage; Humans; Immunity; Immunogenicity; Incidence; Male; Membrane proteins; Mental disorders; Mental health; Middle Aged; Molecular structure; Morphology; Parasitology; Personality; Polymorphism, Genetic; Population; Protein transport; Questionnaires; Red blood cells; Rh-Hr Blood-Group System - genetics; Studies; Womens health; Young Adult; New York; United States > US; Czech Republic
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141362

Rhesus-positive and Rhesus-negative persons differ in the presence-absence of highly immunogenic RhD protein on the erythrocyte membrane. The biological function of the RhD molecule is unknown. Its structure suggests that the molecular complex with RhD protein transports NH3 or CO2 molecules across the erythrocyte cell membrane. Some data indicate that RhD positive and RhD negative subjects differ in their tolerance to certain biological factors, including, Toxoplasma infection, aging and fatique. Present cross sectional study performed on 3,130 subjects) showed that Rhesus negative subjects differed in many indices of their health status, including incidences of many disorders. Rhesus negative subjects reported to have more frequent allergic, digestive, heart, hematological, immunity, mental health, and neurological problems. On the population level, a Rhesus-negativity-associated burden could be compensated for, for example, by the heterozygote advantage, but for Rhesus negative subjects this burden represents a serious problem.