Increased Prevalence of Autoimmune Gastritis in Patients with a Gastric Precancerous Lesion

Background: Autoimmune gastritis (AIG), characterized with the presence of anti-parietal-cell antibodies (APCA), is a risk factor for gastric cancer. However, AIG may go underdiagnosed, especially in case H. pylori infection and precancerous lesions (GPL), due to ambiguous pathology delayed symptom onset. Aim: Investigate prevalence characteristics GPL patients. Methods: Prevalence was determined APCA patients (n = 256) control group 70). Pathological levels gastrin 17 (G17), pepsinogen (PG) I II anti-Helicobacter IgG were assessed cases, severity intestinal metaplasia atrophy scored by expert pathologists. Results: positivity observed 18% cases vs. 7% controls (p 0.033). Only 3/256 previously diagnosed AIG. The associated corpus-limited extended GPL. A receiver operating curve analysis demonstrated that G17 PGI/II ratio could identify APCA-positive within (AUC: 0.884). Conclusions: higher but goes undiagnosed. Using PG I/II as diagnostic markers can help improve surveillance programs