The effect of prednisolone on gastric mucosal histology, gastric secretion, and vitamin B 12 absorption in patients with pernicious anemia.

The Beneficial Effect of Corticosteroids in a Patient with Simple Atrophic Gastritis

“…The first studies of the favorable effect of glucocorticoids in pernicious anemia support the view that immunological mechanisms participate perhaps in the pathogenesis of chronic gastritis (Ardeman & Chanarin 1965, Jeffries 1965, Jeffries, Todd & Sleisenger 1966. This paper reports a similar observation in a patient with simple atrophic gastritis.…”

Studies of parietal cell antibody in pernicious anemia.

“…This may result from continuing regeneration and destruction of parietal cell precursors in the atrophic gastric mucosa. That this mucosa may retain its potential to regenerate parietal cells is indicated by the histologic and secretory changes that have been observed during prednisolone therapy (10,11). The absence of parietal cell antibody in serum from some patients with pernicious anemia is not explained by this hypothesis.…”

“…Antibodies to gastric intrinsic factor (3)(4)(5)(6) and to gastric parietal cell cytoplasmic antigen (2,(7)(8)(9)) may be present in sera from patients with pernicious anemia. Furthermore, treatment of pernicious anemia patients with prednisolone may result in a regeneration of chief and parietal cells in the gastric mucosa, with secretion of acid and intrinsic factor and improvement in vitamin B12 absorption (10,11). This corticosteroid effect may result from the suppression of immunologic processes that destroy parenchymal cells in the gastric mucosa.…”

Excellent Effect of Steroid plus Azathioprine in a Young Woman with Pernicious Anaemia and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

“…As her vitamin B12 levels increased without replacement therapy, and because the haemoglobin level was normal on steroid therapy. Although the bene®cial effect of steroids on the immunological, clinical and histological abnormalities of PA has been reported [13], the treatment of PA associated with SLE remains open to discussion. The mechanism of steroid action in PA is not completely understood, and can be explained either by increased absorption of vitamin B12 [14] or by a decrease in the serum titre of autoantibodies (antiintrinsic factor antibody).…”