Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas have found that strains of the virus seem to find their way into human cells by recognizing antigens found in blood type A.

Rotavirus is most common cause of severe dehydration and diarrhea in infants, from which about half a million people die every year.

The strains of the virus known as P14 and P9 were observed to bind themselves to cells by via glycans (a sort of chain structures that consists of sugars linked together) with the type A Histo-blood group antigen.

This surprised scientists because type A antigens do not have sialic acid, which is found in animal cells that are responsive to the same virus.

In further research, they discovered that laboratory cells modified to express histo-blood antigen A were also easily infected, and antibody to the antigen blocked the infection by the virus. This indicates the antigen may be used by specific virus strain as a receptor.

“Is there an emerging theme here with these intestinal pathogens? Do other viruses use these blood group antigens as a door to enter the cell?” said Doctor Venkataram Prasad, one of the researchers.

While the study found that humans infected with P14 strain had type A blood, they added that more studies were needed to confirm the direct correlation between the pathogen and the blood type.

However, Prasad added that the vulnerability to certain disease raises questions about why humans developed different blood types. The variety of blood types may be evolutionary change to ensure the survival of the species, to make sure certain type of disease does not wipe everybody out.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)