Blood Type and/or Rh Factor Relationship with Tinnitus?

Hi group!

I'm new to this forum, and I'm taking some med school classes in physiology, biochemistry and anatomy...and I'm just curious if there is any relationship between blood type Rh (Rhesus factor) and tinnitus.

If you know your blood type and if you know your Rhesus status (Rh+positive or Rh-negative) please comment below and/or take the online poll below so we can see if there is any correlation.

*I'm thinking that maybe the Rh proteins (or lack of) effect neural activity via chemical transport/accumulation/gradient.

Thanks!
Looking forward to seeing what ya'll have to share.

 

I think we would need at least 100 poll participants to observe any representative data points and statistically significant numbers.

So, please, please, if you know your blood type and rhesus factor please participate in the posted poll above.

If the RH protein is an ammonia/gas transport channel on cells, then - IN THEORY - the absence of it on Rh negative cells could potentially effect the glutamine/glutamate/GABA cycles in the brain...causing neural hyperactivity as a precursor to tinnitus. I was hoping the poll here on this forum would provide some helpful insight(s.)

Thanks to all who have participated with this post.

 

I don't know my blood type.

 

I know we only have a dozen poll responses so far, but there's already an interesting reveal to keep an eye on as more people participate... one that may indicate a correlation between Rh-negative presence of NH4 (ammonia) protein channels on RBC's and other organs/tissue and the hyper neural activity believed to play a part in tinnitus.
We'll have to wait and see how things evolve as more people participate in the poll.

INTERESTING POINT TO NOTE:
The US percentage of people who are Rh-negative is estimated at 15%, with 85% being Rh-positive.
The above tinnitus poll results should mirror this percentage difference, but they don't.
With a dozen responses, we are currently at a 50% Rh-positive and 50% Rh-negative. 50% of a population presenting as Rh-negative is drastically larger than the normal population percentage -- which could potentially indicate a correlation between negative Rh-factor and tinnitus -- we we will need at least 100 poll participants to reach any promising poll number insights though...

So please, help spread the word to participate in this poll.
And if you don't know your blood type, your local blood bank will tell you yours when you donate blood.
You can also request it at your doctor's office.
And you can get blood typing tests online for cheap, which use a small painless prick like an insulin test.

 

If it affects neuronal hyperactivity, do you think a follow up poll with the severity of tinnitus might be useful?

 

Hi FGG,
Yes, that's a good idea! I also think it would be interesting to distinguish tinnitus that was caused from external influences like loud noises as opposed to tinnitus caused by "internal" influences like hyperactive neural activity and/or biological/neurological factors. The effects of tinnitus seem similar, but the causes appear to be different.

 

I’m O -, 49 y/o; have never been exposed to loud noise, no headphone use, no otoxic drugs. My mother and sister are O+ and do NOT have tinnitus. I’ve had tinnitus almost 5 months. Left ear only.

This is interesting... I’ve always craved sugar — but have cut it out due to the tinnitus.

https://www.jacobsladdercenter.com/doc/research/other/How-to-Increase-GABA-and-Balance-Glutamate.pdf

 

Blood type distribution in the world population

A+ 31,2%
A- 2,8%
B+ 15,4%
B- 0,8%
AB+ 4,7%
AB- 0.3%
0+ 41,8%
0- 3,0%

Probably blood group B is much rarer (9%) in the western world, where most members of Tinnitus Talk come from.

 

This makes the, so far, greater portion of O- vs O+ really interesting. Hope this gets more votes.

 

When you consider percentage distribution, as you posted above Tinniger, it's interesting that the poll so far displays a roughly 50/50 distribution of Rh+ and Rh-.
This is especially interesting because when you search "rh negative frequency" the distribution is more like 94% Rh-positive to 6% Rh-negative.
So, even though our poll here only has a few participants so far, it is currently indicating an "above-average" percentage distribution of Rh-negative tinnitus experiencers.

 

Thanks for that PDF link CHLOE_EE! That looks like it's gonna be a good read!

 

I think those of us without noise induced tinnitus AND rh negative might be onto something with this GABA and glutamate business. I’m digesting all of this as we speak... googling my heart out...

 

Here's a report explaining Rh protein as ammonia transport in RBC's:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1365-2141.2003.04425.x

It says the Rh protein exports ammonium out of the cell (extracelluar NH3, intercellular NH4):
"Fig 1. Schema of RBC incubated in a solution containing NH4Cl and KHCO3. NH3 diffuses into the RBC. The enzyme carbonic anhydrase in the RBC converts CO2 and H2O into H+ and HCO3 – . HCO3 – inside the cell is exchanged for Cl– from the outside. NH3 is protonated to NH4 +. Accumulation of NH4 + and Cl– in the RBC results in osmotic swelling and successive lysis. The Rh complex promotes export of the intracellularly formed NH4 +, thereby preventing the attraction of H2O and lysis." https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1365-2141.2003.04425.x

This report references another report that says the ammonia levels in Rh negative RBC's is three times higher than the plasma levels: "It has been shown that total ammonia levels in erythrocytes are greater than three times as compared to plasma ammonia levels." https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2016.00057/full

And this report says the Rh protein transports CO2: https://phys.org/news/2005-05-rh-protein-biological-role.html

Ammonia is part of the glutimaine/glutimate/GABA cycle. GABA helps us maintain calm and balanced neural activity.
A disruption can lead to muscular tension and hyperneural activity.

CO2 is known to disrupt the GABA function (GABA-A receptors) and cause anxiety, tension, etc.... symptoms of hyperneural activity: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009130570800124X

And check out the symptoms elevated CO2 in water causes in fish:
https://sciencenorway.no/carbon-dioxide-fish-behaviour-forskningno/co2-is-confusing-fish/1462289