Anemia and hematinic deficiencies in anti-gastric parietal cell antibody-positive or all autoantibodies-negative recurrent aphthous stomatitis patients.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Approximately 13% of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) patients have serum anti-gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity. This study assessed whether serum GPCA or RAS itself was a significant factor causing hematinic deficiencies and anemia statuses in GPCA-positive RAS (GPCA+/RAS) and all autoantibodies-negative RAS (Abs-/RAS) patients.

METHODS: The mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean blood hemoglobin (Hb), iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid levels were measured and compared between any two of three groups of 31 GPCA+/RAS patients, 240 Abs-/RAS patients, and 342 healthy control subjects.

RESULTS: GPCA+/RAS patients had significantly lower mean Hb and serum iron level (for women only) as well as significantly greater frequencies of Hb, iron, and vitamin B12 deficiencies than healthy control subjects. Moreover, GPCA+/RAS patients had a significantly higher MCV and a significantly greater frequency of vitamin B12 deficiency than Abs-/RAS patients. Furthermore, Abs-/RAS patients did have significantly lower mean Hb, MCV, iron, and folic acid levels and significantly greater frequencies of Hb, iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies than healthy control subjects. Of 31 GPCA+/RAS patients, 3 (9.7%) had PA, 6 (19.4%) had vitamin B12 deficiency, and 3 (9.7%) had macrocytosis. Moreover, normocytic anemia (54.0%) and iron deficiency anemia (26.4%) are the two more common types of anemia in our RAS patients.

CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that serum GPCA plays a significant role in causing vitamin B12 deficiency and high MCV in GPCA+/RAS patients. RAS itself does play a significant role in causing anemia and hematinic deficiencies in both GPCA+/RAS and Abs-/RAS patients.