ABSTRACT
Background: Patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD) may have a greater frequency of anti-parietal cell antibodies (APCA) than the general population.
Aim of the study: The study's goal is to look at chronic atrophic gastritis in people who have autoimmune thyroid illness.
Patients and Methods: In 60 ATD patients, APCA was detected using an indirect immunofluorescence test: 33(55%) had Graves' disease and 27(45%) had Hashimoto's thyroiditis. A systematic questionnaire was used to assess gastrointestinal symptoms, prior history of thrombosis, arthralgia, and other autoimmune disorders in patients and their families. Individuals with both positive and negative APCA were compared. Patients who tested positive were encouraged to have upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and numerous biopsies of the antral, body angular, and prepyloric segments performed. As controls, sera from 30 healthy people hailing from the same geographic region were utilized.
Results: APCA was found in 20% (12/60) of ATD patients, including 21.3 percent (7/33) in the Graves' group and 18.6 percent (5/27) in the Hashimoto's sample (P = 0.796). Positive APCA patients exhibited greater anemia (P > 0.001) and reduced heartburn and epigastric discomfort (P = 0.002&0.004, respectively). A total of 66.7 percent of the 12 APCA-positive patients who underwent upper endoscopy exhibited chronic atrophic gastritis.
Conclusion: ATD patients have a significant prevalence of positive APCA. APCA are more frequent in people who have anemia and much less in those suffering heartburn or epigastric discomfort. Approximately 66.7 percent of APCA-positive individuals had chronic atrophic gastritis.