Association of Salivary ABO Antigen Expression and Dental Caries Experience

This study aimed to determine ABO blood group phenotypes and secretor status from saliva samples and to evaluate their association with dental caries experience among Iraqi primary schoolchildren. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 88 children aged (6-12) years attending governmental dental centers in Baghdad, Iraq. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected and analyzed using the absorption–inhibition (hemagglutination method) to determine ABO blood group phenotype and secretor status. Dental caries experience was assessed using DMFT/dmft index according to World Health Organization criteria. Statistical analyses were performed to compare caries scores according to secretor status and ABO blood group. Of the 88 participants, 81 (92%) were identified as secretors and 7 (8%) as non-secretors. Among secretors, Blood group B was the most prevalent (45%), followed by O (31%), A (17%), and AB (7%). No statistically significant differences were observed in DMFT scores between secretors and non-secretors in permanent dentition (p =0.177), nor in dmft scores in primary dentition (p =0.461). Similarly, no significant association was found between ABO blood group phenotype and caries experience in either permanent or primary teeth (DMFT: p =0.542; dmft: p=0.359). Most Iraqi children in this study were secretors, with blood group B being the most common phenotype. Neither secretor status nor ABO blood group phenotype showed no association with dental caries experience.