[Evaluation of gastric acid secretion in a group of patients with hypothyroidism. Relationship with anti-thyroid and anti-parietal cell antibodies].
BACKGROUND
Aim of this study was to evaluate the possible role of autoimmunity on gastric acid secretion in hypothyroid patients.


METHODS
Fourteen female patients with hypothyroidism were evaluated with a basal and stimulated gastric acid secretion measurement. Eight of these patients had a significantly elevated titer of anti-microsomal, anti-thyroglobulin and anti-parietal cell antibodies (PCA), while six were autoantibodies negative. All hypothyroid patients were on thyroxin therapy with normal TSH value. Two more groups of female euthyroid subjects, undergoing acid secretion measurement, were considered: the first composed of 8 PCA positive subjects, the second of 18 PCA negative subjects. In all patients and controls basal acid output (BAO), maximal acid output (MAO) and peak acid output (PAO) were measured.


RESULTS
We found a statistically significant reduction of BAO (p<0.05), MAO (p<0.001) and PAO (p<0.0001) values in hypothyroid patients, in comparison with euthyroid controls without PCA, only when anti-thyroid and anti-parietal cell antibodies were present. A statistically significant reduction of BAO (p<0.05) and PAO (p<0.01) values were also present in controls PCA positive in comparison with controls PCA negative.


CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained that hypothyroid patients have a reduced gastric acid secretion only in presence of anti-thyroid and anti-parietal cell antibodies. It is suggested that PCA could determine, in hypothyroid patients, a significative reduction of gastric parietal cells not different from that observed in controls with PCA.
Divisione di Medicina Generale II e Malattie del Ricambio, Ospedale Civile, Venezia.
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