Distribution of ABO and D antigen expression in Yogyakarta, Java Island: a pioneer large-scale study in Indonesia

TL;DR

This study reports the ABO and D antigen blood group frequencies among blood donors in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, providing key data for transfusion guidelines.

Contribution

This is the first large-scale study in Indonesia to report ABO and D antigen distribution, aiding national transfusion optimization.

Findings

ABO blood group O is the most common (38.5%) in Yogyakarta donors.

D-positive blood type dominates at 99.5% among the studied population.

The distribution aligns with patterns observed in Southeast Asia.

Abstract

Here, we sought to report ABO and D antigen distribution in blood donors from Yogyakarta, Java Island, Indonesia. Phenotype data (ABO/D) from donors who donated blood between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2023, at the Yogyakarta Blood Donor Unit were extracted from the blood donor registry, and phenotype frequency was calculated subsequently.

In the 245,307 blood donors collected over six years, ABO phenotype frequency: O (frequency: 38.5%) > B (29.4%) > A (24.1%) > AB (8.0%). The D-positive phenotype was far more common (99.5%) than the D-negative phenotype (0.5%). The phenotypic pattern globally is similar to previous reports in Southeast Asia. The D antigen distribution is similar to world distribution as the most common blood group. For the first time in Indonesia, this distribution of ABO and D phenotype is reported in a large-scale study. This work is a pioneer in the coordinated optimization of transfusion guidelines at the national level.