Blood profile of atrophic glossitis patients with thyroglobulin antibody/thyroid microsomal antibody positivity but without gastric parietal cell antibody positivity

Abstract

Background/purpose: Our previous study found that 304 of 1064 atrophic glossitis (AG) patients have thyroglobulin antibody (TGA) positivity and/or thyroid microsomal antibody (TMA) positivity but without gastric parietal cell antibody positivity (GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients). This study mainly assessed whether the serum TGA/TMA positivity was significantly associated with anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients. Methods: The mean blood hemoglobin (Hb), iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine levels were measured and compared between 304 GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients and 476 GPCA-negative, TGA-negative, and TMA-negative AG patients (GPCA־TGA־TMA־AG patients) or 532 healthy control subjects. Results: We found significantly lower MCV and lower mean blood Hb and iron levels as well as significantly greater frquencies of microcytosis, macrocytosis, blood Hb, iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies and hyperhomocysteinemia in 304 GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients than in 532 healthy control subjects. However, no significant differences in the MCV and mean blood Hb, iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine leve1s as well as no significant differences in the frequencies of microcytosis, macrocytosis, blood Hb, iron, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia were discovered between 304 GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients and 476 GPCA־TGA־TMA־AG patients. The 304 GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients had a significantly greater frquency of serum vitamin B12 deficiency than 476 GPCA־TGA־TMA־AG patients. Conclusion: The disease of AG itself plays a significant role in causing anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients. However, the serum TGA/TMA-positivity is not significantly associated with anemia, serum iron and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in GPCA־TGA+/TMA+AG patients. Keywords: Atrophic glossitis, Iron deficiency, Folic acid deficiency, Hyperhomocysteinemia, Thyroglobulin antibody, Thyroid microsomal antibody