Studies on Two Patients with Concomitant Pernicious Anemia and Immunoglobulin Deficiency

Abstract

The clinical and immunological association between the adult type of pernicious anemia and thyroid disorders has been the subject of recent reviews (1-6). Up to 90% of patients who have pernicious anemia demonstrate serum antibodies against parietal cell antigens, up to 60% against intrinsic factor, and more than 50% against thyroid antigens. The reported prevalence of these serum antibodies varies with different techniques. This prevalence greatly exceeds that found in a control population (2, 7). Parietal cell antibodies have also been associated with cells of gastric biopsies obtained from patients who have pernicious anemia (8). These observations and the prominence