title: Upper gastrointestinal symptoms in autoimmune gastritis: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: Autoimmune gastritis is often suspected for its hematologic findings, and rarely the diagnosis is made for the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Aims of this cross-sectional study were to assess in a large cohort of patients affected by autoimmune gastritis the occurrence and the pattern of gastrointestinal symptoms and to evaluate whether symptomatic patients are characterized by specific clinical features.Gastrointestinal symptoms of 379 consecutive autoimmune gastritis patients were systematically assessed and classified following Rome III Criteria. Association between symptoms and anemia pattern, positivity to gastric autoantibodies, Helicobacter pylori infection, and concomitant autoimmune disease were evaluated.In total, 70.2% of patients were female, median age 55 years (range 17-83). Pernicious anemia (53.6%), iron deficiency anemia (34.8%), gastric autoantibodies (68.8%), and autoimmune disorders (41.7%) were present. However, 56.7% of patients complained of gastrointestinal symptoms, 69.8% of them had exclusively upper symptoms, 15.8% only lower and 14.4% concomitant upper and lower symptoms. Dyspepsia, subtype postprandial distress syndrome was the most represented, being present in 60.2% of symptomatic patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that age <55 years (OR 1.6 [CI:1-2.5]), absence of smoking habit (OR 2.2 [CI:1.2-4]), and absence of anemia (OR 3.1 [CI:1.5-6.4]) were independent factors associated to dyspepsia.Autoimmune gastritis is associated in almost 60% of cases with gastrointestinal symptoms, in particular dyspepsia. Dyspepsia is strictly related to younger age, no smoking, and absence of anemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University Sapienza, viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Traslational Medicine, University Sapienza, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marilia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carabotti
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lahner
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Maria Carlotta
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Sacchi
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Severi
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Annibale
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000379:methods; D041742:Upper Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D006454:Hemoglobins