Atrophic Gastritis and Autoimmunity: Results from a Prospective, Multicenter Study.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Immunology
• Oncology

Background:

• Gastric cancer (GC) incidence is rising in young patients, with autoimmunity suggested as a cause.
• Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a precursor lesion to GC.
• The role of autoimmunity in CAG requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the prevalence of autoantibodies in patients with CAG.
• To compare autoantibody levels between CAG patients and controls.
• To explore potential associations between autoantibodies and patient demographics or H. pylori infection.

Main Methods:

• Sera from 355 patients (154 with CAG, 201 controls) were tested for 19 autoantibodies.
• CAG patients were subcategorized into autoimmune gastritis (AIG) and non-autoimmune gastritis (NAIG).
• Autoantibody prevalence was compared across AIG, NAIG, and control groups, with statistical analysis.

Main Results:

• Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) were significantly higher in AIG (46.7%) compared to NAIG (29%) and controls (27%).
• Female gender was associated with ANA positivity, but age and H. pylori infection were not.
• Myositis-associated antibodies and other common autoantibodies (APCA, AIFA) showed no significant differences across groups, and were not linked to H. pylori, age, or gender in AIG.

Conclusions:

• ANA are more prevalent in autoimmune gastritis but their clinical significance in CAG needs further study.
• H. pylori infection does not influence the seropositivity of ANA, APCA, or AIFA.
• The study does not support an increased prevalence of common autoantibodies in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis.