ABO Blood Type and Personality Traits in Healthy Japanese Subjects

PLoS One. 2015 May 15;10(5):e0126983. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126983. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

There is no scientific consensus that a relationship exists between the ABO blood group and personality traits. However, a recent study hypothesized that the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene is in linkage with the ABO gene. The sample population consisted of 1,427 healthy Japanese subjects who completed the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Each subject's ABO blood type was determined by genotyping the rs8176719 and rs8176746 ABO gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using a TaqMan genotyping assay. The relationships between the six ABO genotypes or four ABO phenotypes and personality traits were examined using a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), controlling for age and sex. The MANCOVA data showed a significant difference in TCI scores among the ABO genotype groups (F [7, 1393] = 3.354, p = 0.001). A subsequent univariate analysis showed a significant difference in the mean scores for Persistence among the genotype groups (F = 2.680, partial η2 = 0.010, p = 0.020). Similarly, dividing the ABO blood type into four phenotypes revealed a significant difference among the phenotype groups (F [7, 1397] = 2.529, p = 0.014). A subsequent univariate analysis showed a significant difference among the phenotype groups in the mean scores for Persistence (F = 2.952, partial η2= 0.006, p = 0.032). We observed a significant association between ABO blood group genotypes and personality traits in a large number of healthy Japanese subjects. However, these results should be regarded as preliminary and should be interpreted with caution because it is possible that the association between ABO blood group genotype and the Persistence trait is relatively weak.

MeSH terms

  • ABO Blood-Group System* / genetics
  • ABO Blood-Group System* / physiology
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Female
  • Genetic Association Studies
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Personality Inventory
  • Personality* / physiology
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Temperament / physiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • ABO Blood-Group System

Grants and funding

These authors have no support or funding to report.