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An appraisal of tests for severe atrophic gastritis in relatives of patients with pernicious anemia

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Abstract

The sensitivities, specificities, and predictive values of parietal cell antibody, serum gastrin, and serum pepsinogen I (PG I) for severe atrophic gastritis of the oxyntic gland mucosa have been determined in 171 first-degree relatives of 62 patients with pernicious anemia. Parietal cell antibody had the lowest sensitivity (65%), specificity (87%), and predictive value (44%). A low serum PG I and a high serum gastrin had identical specificities (97%), and similar predictive values (84 vs 83%), but the sensitivity of a low serum PG I was greater than that of a high serum gastrin (91 vs 83%). Parietal cell antibody was found in 19 of 148 relatives without severe atrophic gastritis and occurred as an isolated finding in 17. In contrast, 14 of the 15 relatives with severe atrophic gastritis who had parietal cell antibody also had a high serum gastrin and a low serum PG I. A high serum gastrin together with a low serum PG I had a specificity of 100%. The results recommend serum PG I and serum gastrin, but not parietal cell antibody, as tests for severe atrophic gastritis in relatives of patients with pernicious anemia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gastroenterological Unit, Second Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    K. Varis MD, I. M. Samloff MD, T. Ihämaki MD & M. Siurala MD

  2. Division of Gastroenterology, Harbor/UCLA Medical Center, 1000 West Carson Street, Torrance, California

    K. Varis MD, I. M. Samloff MD, T. Ihämaki MD & M. Siurala MD

Authors
  1. K. Varis MD
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  2. I. M. Samloff MD
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  3. T. Ihämaki MD
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  4. M. Siurala MD
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Additional information

This study was supported by grants AM 13233 and AM 17238 from the National Institutes of Health, and by the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, and Dumex Ltd.

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Varis, K., Samloff, I.M., Ihämaki, T. et al. An appraisal of tests for severe atrophic gastritis in relatives of patients with pernicious anemia. Digest Dis Sci 24, 187–191 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01308427

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