Profiles of Black and Latin-American Patients Having Pernicious Anemia: HLA Antigens Lymphocytotoxic Antibody, Anti-Parietal Cell Antibody, Serum Gastrin Levels, and ABO Blood Groups

Because of the unusual presentation of pernicious anemia in many black women, a further characterization of this disease among the different racial groups was undertaken. The following were found. (1) Black women under the age of 50 years had a significantly lower prevalence of anti-parietal cell antibody than did "European" and Latin-American patients or even older black women. The disease in the younger black women resembles juvenile pernicious anemia in this respect. Blacks in general had a lower prevalence of anti-parietal cell antibody than did "Europeans" and Latin Americans, though the difference was not statistically significant. A particularly striking finding was that anti-parietal cell antibody occurred much less often than anti-intrinsic factor antibody among black patients. (2) An analysis of all published HLA data for patients of European origin indicated a weak association of pernicious anemia with HLA-B7. However, no antigen association among the black and Latin-American patients studied was found. HLA-DR typing, not previously reported even for whites, also showed no association. (3) Lymphocytotoxic antibody was equally increased in frequency in all racial groups. (4) Serum gastrin levels did not follow a racial pattern; however, women with pernicious anemia had much higher levels than did men. (5) Pernicious anemia was not associated with blood group A.