Autoimmune gastritis: relationships with anemia and Helicobacter pylori status

Abstract

Background: Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is a gastric pathologic condition affecting the mucosa of the fundus and the body and eventually leading to hypo-achlorhydria.

Aims: We report our clinical and pathological experience with AIG.

Methods: Data from patients with a diagnosis of AIG seen in the period January 2002–December 2012 were retrieved. Only patients with complete sets of biopsies were analyzed.

Results: Data from 138 patients were available for analysis. Pernicious anemia was present in 25% of patients, iron deficiency anemia was found in 29.7% of patients, hypothyroidism in 23% of patients, type 1 diabetes in 7.9% of patients, and vitiligo in 2.8% of patients. Parietal cell antibodies were positive in 65% of patients, and no patient had serology positive for celiac disease. All gastric biopsies showed glandular atrophy associated with enterochromaffin-like (ECL)-cells hyperplasia, features limited to the mucosa of the fundus and body, and focal glandular intestinal metaplasia. Helicobacter pylori was negative in all cases.

Conclusions: AIG was strongly associated with anemia; atrophy, intestinal metaplasia and ECL hyperplasia in the gastric fundus and body are hallmarks of this condition.

Keywords:

• Autoimmune gastritis
• duodenal lymphocytosis
• endocrine hyperplasia
• Helicobacter pylori
• histology

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.