ABO blood group and human auditory function

Abstract

The ABO blood group system classifies human blood according to the genetic characteristics of red blood cells, which are determined by the surface antigens A and B. Therefore, individuals may have blood groups A, B, O, or AB. Many studies have noted an association between the prevalence of particular health conditions and the ABO blood group status of an individual. However, possible relationships between ABO blood group status and auditory function have not been comprehensively examined. According to several previous small-scale studies, workers with blood group O are more likely than workers with blood group A, B, or AB to suffer from noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Recently, additional small-scale studies have suggested that individuals with blood group O have relatively lower otoacoustic emission (OAE) amplitudes and lower speech perception scores in noise. The current study investigated the relationship between ABO blood group status and auditory function on a larger and broader scale than any previous research. An in-depth investigation of the possible relationship between blood group and auditory function may increase our understanding of the potential causes of cochlear disorders (and thus NIHL) and aid in reducing the high global prevalence of this disabling condition.

The present study included a large number of participants (n=463, and approximately the same number for each ABO blood group) and used a wide range of hearing tests – objective hearing tests (transient evoked OAE, distortion product OAE, spontaneous OAE, and DPOAE input/output function), as well as pure tone audiometry, extended high frequency (EHF) audiometry and tone-in-noise detection tests - to assess hearing function in detail. Ages of recruited participants ranged from 20 to 59 years old. All participants passed a pure tone audiometry test and had no observable middle ear issues. This comprehensive hearing test battery included a selection of tests that have been previously utilized in this context, as well as additional auditory assessments, to provide a fuller perspective on auditory function as it relates to ABO blood group.

The current study hypothesized that participants with blood group O would show reduced auditory status compared to participants with non-O blood group. However, in this large-scale study, the results did not support that hypothesis. OAE results revealed no statistically significant differences for participants with blood group O and participants with blood types A, B, and AB. Consistent with previous findings, age and gender differences in OAEs were observed. There were no statistically significant differences among blood groups in EHF hearing thresholds or tone-in-noise detection tests. However, this study found that EHF hearing thresholds and tone detection test results decreased with age. These findings were also consistent with prior research.

In conclusion, the current study found that participants with blood type O did not show reduced auditory function. However, additional research is needed to confirm, or rule out, any possible effect of blood group on human auditory function. To further investigate the possible relationship between ABO blood groups and human auditory function, it is important to focus on NIHL and the potential differential effects of blood group, as this is an area that has not yet been comprehensively examined.