Hematinic deficiencies and anemia statuses in anti-gastric parietal cell antibody-positive or all autoantibodies-negative erosive oral lichen planus patients.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Approximately 27% of erosive oral lichen planus (EOLP) patients have serum anti-gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity. This study assessed whether serum GPCA or EOLP itself was a significant factor that caused hematinic deficiencies and anemia statuses in GPCA-positive or autoantibodies-negative EOLP patients (GPCA+ /EOLP and Abs- /EOLP 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 41 GPCA+ /EOLP patients, 198 Abs- /EOLP patients, and 184 healthy control subjects.

RESULTS: GPCA+ /EOLP patients had significantly lower mean Hb, iron (for women only), and vitamin B12 level as well as significantly greater frequencies of Hb, iron, and vitamin B12 deficiencies than healthy control subjects. Moreover, GPCA+ /EOLP patients had significantly lower serum vitamin B12 level and significantly higher MCV as well as a significantly greater frequency of vitamin B12 deficiency than Abs- /EOLP patients. Furthermore, Abs- /EOLP patients did have significantly lower mean Hb, MCV, iron (for women only), vitamin B12, and folic acid levels as well as significantly greater frequencies of Hb and iron deficiencies than healthy control subjects.

CONCLUSION: We conclude that serum GPCA is the major factor that causes vitamin B12 deficiency, macrocytosis and pernicious anemia in GPCA+ /EOLP patients. Approximately 29-32% GPCA-positive EOLP patients have vitamin B12 deficiency or macrocytosis and about 23-25% vitamin B12 deficiency or macrocytosis EOLP patients have pernicious anemia. ELOP itself does play a significant role in causing anemia and hematinic deficiencies in Abs- /EOLP patients.