Involvement of the corporal mucosa and related changes in gastric acid secretion characterize patients with iron deficiency anaemia associated with Helicobacter pylori infection.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have reported an association between iron deficiency anaemia and Helicobacter pylori. Helicobacter pylori could cause iron deficiency anaemia by altering iron absorption. We observed that most patients with Helicobacter pylori infection and iron deficiency anaemia present a chronic superficial pangastritis.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether Helicobacter pylori-positive patients with iron deficiency anaemia have peculiar histological and functional features when compared with non-anaemic Helicobacter pylori-positive subjects.


METHODS
Fifty-one patients with iron deficiency anaemia, in whom chronic superficial Helicobacter pylori gastritis was the only gastrointestinal finding, and 103 non-anaemic Helicobacter pylori-positive controls were included in the study. Thirty-seven patients were randomly matched with 37 controls of the same sex and age.


METHODS
Gastroscopy, with antral (n=3) and body (n=3) biopsies, was performed. Gastrin and pepsinogen I levels and antiparietal cell antibodies were evaluated. Intragastric pH was also measured.


RESULTS
Gastritis involved the corporal mucosa in 90% of patients compared to 42.7% of controls (P < 0.0001). The mean inflammatory score in the gastric body was significantly higher among patients than in controls (2.2 vs. 0.6; P=0.012). Gastrin was significantly higher in patients than in controls (mean 60.2 vs. 29 pg/mL; P=0.0069). Intragastric pH was higher in patients than in controls (median 5.7 vs. 2; P=0.0026).


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that patients with iron deficiency anaemia and Helicobacter pylori infection have a peculiar pattern of gastritis with corporal involvement and related changes in intragastric pH.
Capurso
G
G
Digestive and Liver Disease Division, II Medical School, University 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy.
Lahner
E
E
Marcheggiano
A
A
Caruana
P
P
Carnuccio
A
A
Bordi
C
C
Delle Fave
G
G
Annibale
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005745:Gastric Acidity Determination; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D005755:Gastrins / Q000032:analysis; D005756:Gastritis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005773:Gastroscopy; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007249:Inflammation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D005755:Gastrins