Clinical Gastroenterology Vol.18 No.13(4)

Theme Autoimmune Diseases in Gastroenterology
Title Autoimmune Gastritis: Review of the Literature
Publish Date 2003/12
Author Tohru Sasaki Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University East Hospital
Author Wasaburo Koizumi Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University East Hospital
Author Norisuke Nakayama Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University East Hospital
Author Katsuhiko Higuchi Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University East Hospital
Author Satoshi Tanabe Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University East Hospital
Author Katsunori Saigenji Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University East Hospital
[ Summary ] Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is an organ-specific inflammatory disease of the stomach accompanied by atrophic changes in the gastric corpus, autoantibodies, such as parietal cell antibodies and intrinsic factor antibodies, hypergastrinemia, anacidity, and pernicious anemia. Recent studies on experimental treatment of AIG suggest that AIG may be initiated by the persistence of cytotoxic Th1 cells, which respond to gastric H+, K+-ATPase, and by the reduction of regulator T cells.
Though the relation between Helicobactor pylori infection and AIG remains unclear, recent reports have demonstrated the inhibitory effects of H.pylori infection on the development of autoimmune gastritis. Since gastric carcinoids associated with AIG display relatively benign biological behavior, these lesions can be managed initially by antrectomy with local excision or endoscopic excision.
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