Blood Group O Rhesus Negative?

[Scarlett]

I was talking to my Mum about how come I've ended up with so many health probs and yet my siblings are fine. She mentioned that they are O+ and I'm O-. I started to read up about this, and it seems that there may be a link between people with rhesus negative and inflammatory auto immune diseases- asthma, eczema, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis etc. Has anyone ever heard of this, and if so, is it true? It would make perfect sense to me, as I have most of those things- asthma and eczema at age 3 and then the rest as time went on. Any ideas?

[Smowball]

Ooh I'm A Rhesus negative lol

[Sqad]

It is not as simple as that.
ABO groupings do have their problems but that is due to incompatibility issues at birth rather than the association of chronic diseases, particularly auto immune diseases.
All humans have as well as ABO, other blood factors known as HLA (Human Leucocyte Antigen) ...dozens of them and it is thought that the association of "some" chronic diseases may be due to mutations in these genes.

http://www.eupedia.com/forum/threads/25151-HLA-types-and-autoimmune-diseases

My explanation is simple i.e I can understand it, but the link above may explain it better than me.

[Cloverjo]

I'm Rhesus negative, but A rather than O. I have none of those problems, but I did have to have an injection of something after I gave birth to my son as he was positive and my immune system would have harmed any future babies.

[Sqad]

Cloverjo.......the injection would probably have been Gamma-globulin.

[Cloverjo]

Yes, probably, sqad. Those words ring a bell somewhere.

[cassa333]

Nothing to do with monkeys then lol?

I have heard this theory before and That link chanel5 was interesting until the God squad got in there at the end.

[Scarlett]

Very interesting, thanks. Sqad, is it possible to get an HLA blood test to find out which types you have?

[Sqad]

Scarlett....I don't know. Ask your GP.

[Peter Pedant]

the whole of my family are rh positive and we all had eczema and half have adult asthma ....

lots on the internet
http://rhnegativebloodsecrets.blogspot.co.uk/2013_01_01_archive.html

all of which frankly I dont think is worth reading but try it yourself

and lastly - HLA testing ( different from blood groups and rhesus) IS available on the NHS (!!)
here
https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/severn-pathology/requesting/test-information/hla-b27

and of course they do HLA testing for kidney and liver ptransplants
but I am not sure if the GP will order one for you as you are interested in various disease associations ( rather weakly associated ) but he may

you could always pay to have it done yourself

[CluckyChick]

Are you the oldest sibling? If so, this might be more likely to account for the differences between you and your siblings than the blood group idea. The theory is that the eldest siblings gets less germ exposure as a baby than the younger ones, which leaves the eldest with a higher risk of problems related to the immune system later on.

[Scarlett]

Hi Clucky, No I'm the middle one! So, not sure what the link might be there.

[Scarlett]

Thanks Peter, interesting links. Yes, I don't suppose they will do me a test if I am just vaguely interested! I'll find out.

[Cloverjo]

Clucky, I think later babies are at more risk from the positive/ negative thing than the first born.
If the firstborn is a girl, she might have to have the injection I mentioned earlier if she gives birth.