ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study

Mustafa Altun; Emre Kudu; Cansu Tiriş; Asli Bahar Uçar; Sinan Karacabey; Erkman Sanrı; Özge Ecmel Onur; Arzu Denizbaşı

doi:10.47493/abantmedj.1752485

ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study

Abstract

Objective: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a life-threatening emergency associated with significant mortality, necessitating the identification of reliable prognostic factors. Although ABO blood groups have been linked to bleeding tendencies, their role in the prognosis of UGIB remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between ABO blood groups and mortality in patients with UGIB, as well as their relationship with other clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data from 992 adult patients (≥18 years) diagnosed with UGIB at Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital Emergency Department between 2018 and 2022 were analyzed. Patients discharged against medical advice or with incomplete records were excluded. Data on ABO/Rh blood groups, comorbidities, mortality, blood transfusion requirements, and length of hospital stay were extracted from hospital records. Results: Among 992 patients (median age 67 years; 64.2% male), the overall in-hospital mortality rate was 12.7% (126/992). Mortality rates were 11.0% in group O, 13.0% in group A, 14.6% in group B, and 15.9% in group AB, with no statistically significant differences (p = 0.572). Logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between blood groups and mortality: group A (OR: 1.210 (95% CI: 0.784–1.868); p = 0.389), group B (OR: 1.379 (95% CI: 0.782–2.432); p = 0.267), and group AB (OR: 1.524 (95% CI: 0.719–3.230); p = 0.272) compared with group O. No significant differences were observed between O and non-O groups in terms of transfusion requirement (OR: 1.06 (95% CI: 0.804–1.39); p = 0.697), hospital stay duration (p = 0.114), or endoscopic stigmata distribution (p = 0.894). Conclusion: ABO blood groups were not found to be independent predictors of mortality or other clinical outcomes in UGIB patients. Although the proportion of group O patients was higher among those with UGIB, blood group-based risk stratification appears to have limited prognostic value. These findings support prioritizing broader clinical factors in the management of UGIB.

Keywords

References

Chen L, Zheng H, Wang S. Prediction model of emergency mortality risk in patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a retrospective study. PeerJ. 2021;9:e11656.
Kudu E, Danış F. The evolution of gastrointestinal bleeding: a holistic investigation of global outputs with bibliometric analysis. Turk J Gastroenterol. 2022;33(12):1012–1024.
Kamboj AK, Hoversten P, Leggett CL. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: etiologies and management. Mayo Clin Proc. 2019;94(4):697–703.
Kudu E, Danış F. Recognizing and addressing the challenges of gastrointestinal tuberculosis. World J Clin Cases. 2024;12(19):3648–3653.
Kudu E, Altun M, Ucar AB, et al. Factors associated with thirty-day emergency department revisits for upper gastrointestinal bleeding: insights from a five-year retrospective study. Anatolian J Emerg Med. 2025;8(1).
Baumbach R, Faiss S, Cordruwisch W, Schrader C. [Acute gastrointestinal bleeding]. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2016;141(8):561–568; quiz 569–570.
Orpen-Palmer J, Stanley A. A review of risk scores within upper gastrointestinal bleeding. J Clin Med. 2023;12(11):3678.
Bayan K, Tüzün Y, Yılmaz Ş, Dursun M, Canoruç F. Clarifying the relationship between ABO/Rhesus blood group antigens and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Dig Dis Sci. 2009;54(5):1029–1034.

Kurt H, Tiryaki AB, Balimre BC, Müderrisoğlu S, Dindar G. The relationship between ABO blood group and blood transfusion in upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Fam Pract Palliat Care. 2023;8(5):130–133.
Alışkan H, Kılıç M. Association between ABO blood groups and mortality in upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Rev Assoc Med Bras. 2023;69(7):e20230386.
Bahardoust M, Naghshin R, Mokhtare M, et al. Association between ABO blood group and clinical outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Intern Med. 2018;8(1):1–6.
Edgren G, Hjalgrim H, Rostgaard K, et al. Risk of gastric cancer and peptic ulcers in relation to ABO blood type: a cohort study. Am J Epidemiol. 2010;172(11):1280–1285.
Wang Z, Liu L, Ji J, et al. ABO blood group system and gastric cancer: a case-control study and meta-analysis. Int J Mol Sci. 2012;13(10):13308–13321.
Mehic D, Hofer S, Jungbauer C, et al. Association of ABO blood group with bleeding severity in patients with bleeding of unknown cause. Blood Adv. 2020;4(20):5157–5164.
Şenel T, Ateş I, Demir B, et al. The diagnostic and prognostic value of platelet indices in gastrointestinal bleeding. Am J Emerg Med. 2019;37(4):657–663.
Lu Z, Sun X, Han J, et al. Characteristics of peptic ulcer bleeding in cirrhotic patients with esophageal and gastric varices. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):17931.
Pinto C, Parra P, Magna J, et al. [Variceal and non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: analysis of 249 hospitalized patients]. Rev Med Chil. 2020;148(3):288–294.
Eren C. İstanbul İlinde ABO ve Rh Kan Grupları Dağılımının Analizi. Dicle Med J. 2019;46(2):241–246.
Chakrani Z, Robinson K, Taye B. Association between ABO blood groups and Helicobacter pylori infection: a meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):17604.
Lin WY, Hong MY, Lin CH, Chang PP, Chu SC, Kao CL. Association of ABO blood type with bleeding severity in patients with acute gastroesophageal variceal bleeding. Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(12):1323.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Emergency Medicine, Internal Diseases

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Mustafa Altun ^*
0000-0002-7090-8917
Türkiye

Emre Kudu
0000-0002-1422-5927
Türkiye

Cansu Tiriş
0000-0001-7693-1782
Türkiye

Asli Bahar Uçar
0000-0003-0053-5657
Türkiye

Sinan Karacabey
0000-0001-5479-5118
Türkiye

Erkman Sanrı
0000-0002-7108-3304
Türkiye

Özge Ecmel Onur
0000-0002-0110-3533
Türkiye

Arzu Denizbaşı
0000-0002-4589-8251
Türkiye

Publication Date

December 30, 2025

Submission Date

July 28, 2025

Acceptance Date

September 13, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 14 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.47493/abantmedj.1752485

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA68BW98CD

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Altun, M., Kudu, E., Tiriş, C., Uçar, A. B., Karacabey, S., Sanrı, E., Onur, Ö. E., & Denizbaşı, A. (2025). ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study. Abant Medical Journal, 14(3), 186-193. https://doi.org/10.47493/abantmedj.1752485

AMA

1.Altun M, Kudu E, Tiriş C, et al. ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study. Abant Med J. 2025;14(3):186-193. doi:10.47493/abantmedj.1752485

Chicago

Altun, Mustafa, Emre Kudu, Cansu Tiriş, et al. 2025. “ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study”. Abant Medical Journal 14 (3): 186-93. https://doi.org/10.47493/abantmedj.1752485.

EndNote

Altun M, Kudu E, Tiriş C, Uçar AB, Karacabey S, Sanrı E, Onur ÖE, Denizbaşı A (December 1, 2025) ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study. Abant Medical Journal 14 3 186–193.

IEEE

[1]M. Altun et al., “ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study”, Abant Med J, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 186–193, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.47493/abantmedj.1752485.

ISNAD

Altun, Mustafa - Kudu, Emre - Tiriş, Cansu - Uçar, Asli Bahar - Karacabey, Sinan - Sanrı, Erkman - Onur, Özge Ecmel - Denizbaşı, Arzu. “ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study”. Abant Medical Journal 14/3 (December 1, 2025): 186-193. https://doi.org/10.47493/abantmedj.1752485.

JAMA

1.Altun M, Kudu E, Tiriş C, Uçar AB, Karacabey S, Sanrı E, Onur ÖE, Denizbaşı A. ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study. Abant Med J. 2025;14:186–193.

MLA

Altun, Mustafa, et al. “ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study”. Abant Medical Journal, vol. 14, no. 3, Dec. 2025, pp. 186-93, doi:10.47493/abantmedj.1752485.

Vancouver

1.Mustafa Altun, Emre Kudu, Cansu Tiriş, Asli Bahar Uçar, Sinan Karacabey, Erkman Sanrı, Özge Ecmel Onur, Arzu Denizbaşı. ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study. Abant Med J. 2025 Dec. 1;14(3):186-93. doi:10.47493/abantmedj.1752485