Abstract
Background:
Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is an immune-mediated chronic atrophic gastritis, and anemia is common in AIG. This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics of AIG patients with and without anemia.
Methods:
This was a single-center retrospective study. The diagnosis of AIG was based on endoscopic or pathologic findings combined with antiparietal cell antibody (PCA) and anti-intrinsic factor antibody (IFA) results. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin levels
Results:
This study included 117 AIG patients. The median age was 53.6±10.5 years old, and 72.6% were female. Anemia was present in 39.3% patients, with 17.9% iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and 21.4% pernicious anemia (PA). AIG patients with anemia had a higher positive rate of IFA (34.8% vs. 18.3%,
P
=0.044) and a lower level of pepsinogen I (PG-I) [5.0 (3.3 to 10.4) vs. 8.0 (4.1 to 18.9) ng/mL,
P
=0.033]. However, no significant differences were observed in the age, sex, PCA positivity, gastrin levels,
Helicobacter pylori
(
H. pylori
) infection status or the concomitant diseases between patients with and without anemia. Compared with PA patients, IDA patients had a higher incidence of
H. pylori
infection (66.7% vs. 28.0%,
P
=0.009), as well as the levels of PG-I (
P
=0.001), PG-II (
P
=0.016) and PG-I/II ratio (
P
=0.007). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that IFA positivity (odds ratio=2.379,
P
=0.047) was a significant risk factor for anemia in AIG patients.
Conclusions:
AIG patients with IFA positivity are more prone to anemia, and IDA maybe associated with
H. pylori
infection.