Normal range: Negative
Comment: Autoimmune APCA are found in 80% of adults with autoimmune pernicious anemia and to a lesser extent in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, myxedema, thyrotoxicosis, iron deficiency anemia, adrenal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus , gastric ulcer and cancer. The test is useful in the differential diagnosis of precious anemia. There is cross positivity of parietal cell and thyroid antibodies in patients with thyroditis and pernicious anemia. With time, the titer of parietal cell antibodies will decline in some patients with pernicious anemia (possibly related to loss of parietal cells) whereas intrinsic factor antibodies persist
Sample: serum