Family Study in Addisonian Pernicious Anemia

Addisonian pernicious anemia was present in 6 of 9 siblings (Generation II). All 9 siblings had evidence of gastric pathology as judged by the presence of antibodies against parietal cells, abnormalities in the gastric biopsy, and diminution of secretion of acid and intrinsic factor.

Parietal cell antibodies were present in 10 of 17 offspring of these 9 siblings who were available for study. Gastric biopsy in the older members of this generation (III) showed atrophic gastritis; some of the younger members showed superficial gastritis.

Loss of intrinsic factor was always accompanied by loss of gastric secreting cells and there was no evidence that decline of intrinsic factor secretion occurred independently of hydrochloric acid.