The Incidence of Blood Group A in Pernicious Anemia

Abstract

Introduction In 1953 Aird and Bentall reported a significantly higher incidence of blood Group A in patients with cancer of the stomach than in the general population.¹ Since cancer of the stomach is three to four times as common in pernicious anemia as in the population at large,* the incidence of blood Group A in pernicious anemia is of some interest. Such a study forms the basis for this report. Method Patient records which had been filed under the heading "pernicious anemia" at the Stanford University Hospitals (1937-1955), the University of California Hospital (1934-1955), and the San Francisco Hospital (1942-1954) were examined.† Specific information sought included the presence of macrocytic anemia, achlorhydria after histamine injection, combined system disease, megaloblastic bone marrow, hematologic response to adequate therapy, atrophic gastritis, glossitis, the impression of the attending physicians, and the determination of blood group. Of 524 records which had been filed under