Investigation of the Prevalence of Non‐ABO Blood Group Antigens in Infertile Women Referred to University Hospitals in Iran: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Background and Aims Infertility nowadays is considered a disease and a significant global health issue. Despite extensive research, the cause of approximately 15% of infertility cases remains unknown. Additionally, despite the high financial and emotional costs associated with infertility treatment, there is no single universal method that definitively leads to pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby. This study investigates the prevalence of minor blood group antigens in infertile and fertile women in Iran, contributing to the understanding of blood group distributions in this population. Methods Blood samples from 60 infertile women and 65 fertile women were analyzed for antigens in the Rh, MNS, P1PK, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, and Lewis blood group systems using manual serological agglutination tests and gel card methods. Finally, the results were analyzed using SPSS Statistics version 27. Results The frequencies of the studied antigens were as follows: M (83.3%), N (55%), S (60%), Jka (75%), Jkb (66.7%), P1(76.7%), Fya (66.7%), Fyb (73.3%), Lea (16.7%), Leb (58.3%), C (75%), c (75%), E (25%), e (100%), KELL (5%) in the case group, and M (86.2%), N (52.3%), S (64.6%), Jka (72.3%), Jkb (67.7%), P1(72.3%), Fya (70.8%), Fyb (64.6%), Lea (18.5%), Leb (47.7%), C (73.8%), c (64.6%), E (26.2%), e (96.9%), KELL (10.8%) in the control group. Conclusion This study provides valuable data on the distribution of minor blood group antigens in Iranian women, informing transfusion medicine and healthcare strategies. While no statistically significant differences were observed between the groups, these findings enhance our understanding of blood group prevalence in this population.