title: Significant association of deficiency of hemoglobin, iron and vitamin B12, high homocysteine level, and gastric parietal cell antibody positivity with atrophic glossitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atrophic glossitis (AG) is considered to be a marker of nutritional deficiency. In this study, we evaluated whether there was an intimate association of the deficiency of hemoglobin, iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid, high blood homocysteine level, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity with AG.
  
  
  METHODS
  The blood hemoglobin, iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine concentrations and the serum GPCA level in 176 AG patients were measured and compared with the corresponding levels in 176 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that 39 (22.2%), 47 (26.7%), 13 (7.4%), and 3 (1.7%) AG patients had deficiencies of Hb (men < 13 g/dl, women < 12 g/dl), iron (<60 μg/dl), vitamin B12 (<200 pg/ml), and folic acid (<4 ng/ml), respectively. Moreover, 38 (21.6%) AG patients had abnormally high blood homocysteine level, and 47 (26.7%) AG patients had serum GPCA positivity. AG patients had a significantly higher frequency of Hb, iron, or vitamin B12 deficiency, of abnormally elevated blood homocysteine level, or of serum GPCA positivity than healthy control subjects (all P-values = 0.000). However, no significant difference in frequency of folic acid deficiency was found between AG patients and healthy control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that there is a significant association of deficiency of hemoglobin, iron and vitamin B12, abnormally high blood homocysteine level, and serum GPCA positivity with AG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Hung-Pin
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yi-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chun-Pin
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001284:Atrophy; D002054:Burning Mouth Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000150:complications; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood; D005928:Glossitis / Q000097:blood*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000097:blood*; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000150:complications; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000276:immunology*; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000150:complications; D014059:Tongue / Q000098:blood supply; D014060:Tongue Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000150:complications; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000097:blood*; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D006454:Hemoglobins