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Unit Code 83728:
Parietal Cell Antibodies, IgG, Serum

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Useful For

Evaluating patients suspected of having PA or immune-mediated

deficiency of vitamin B(12) with or without megaloblastic anemia

Clinical Information

Autoantibodies to gastric parietal cells are found in approximately

90% of patients with pernicious anemia.(1) Pernicious anemia (PA)

is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B(12) and is the end stage of

a progressive disease called autoimmune chronic atrophic

gastritis. In this disease, immune-mediated inflammation leads to

destruction of gastric parietal cells with resultant loss of intrinsic

factor production and an inability to absorb dietary vitamin B(12).

Gastric parietal cell autoantibodies (GPA) react with the alpha

and beta subunits of the membrane-bound enzyme, H( )/K( )

ATPase.(2)

 

GPA are found with increased frequency in several autoimmune

diseases including: autoimmune thyroiditis (both Hashimoto's

thyroiditis and Grave's disease), type 1 diabetes, Addison's

disease, vitiligo, alopecia areata, autoimmune neurological

disorders, and in first-degree relatives of patients with these

diseases. The prevalence of GPA increases with age in the

healthy population from approximately 2.5% at age 30-39 to 9.6%

in the 8th decade.(1)

Reference Values

Negative:             < or =20.0 Units

Equivocal:           20.1-24.9 Units

Positive:               > or =25.0 Units

 

Reference values apply to all ages.

Interpretation

A positive result indicates the presence of IgG antibodies to

H( )/K( ) ATPase and suggests the possibility of PA or a related

autoimmune disease.

 

A negative result indicates no detectable IgG antibodies to

H( )/K( ) ATPase.

 

An equivocal result is indeterminate.

Cautions

A negative result for GPA does not rule out the possibility of PA.

 

A positive result indicates the presence of measurable IgG

antibodies to H( )/K( ) ATPase but does not establish the

diagnosis of PA or another autoimmune disease.

 

The level of GPA does not indicate the severity of disease in

patients with autoimmune chronic gastritis or other autoimmune

diseases.

Clinical Reference

1.   Toh BH, Van Driel IR, Gleeson PA:  Pernicious anemia. N Engl

      J Med 1997 Nov 13;337(20):1441-1448

 

2.   Callaghan JM, Khan MA, Alderuccio F, et al:  Alpha and beta

      subunits of gastric H /K( )-ATPase are concordantly targeted

      by parietal cell autoantibodies associated with autoimmune

      gastritis. Autoimmun 1993;16(4):289-295

Key