The significance of gastric antibodies.

Abstract

Chronic inflammatory disease of the acid‐secretory gastric mucosa in man may be associated with the development of circulating antibodies directed against two distinct antigenic components of the gastric parietal cell. The first can be shown by immunofluorescent techniques to be present in the cytoplasm of this cell (Taylor et al, 1962). Immunoabsorption studies suggest that it is present in the microsomal fraction of gastric mucosal extracts and that it may be a lipoprotein (Baur et al, 1965). Immunolocalization using the electron microscope has recently suggested that it may be a component of the micro‐villi of the canalicular system of the parietal cell (Hoedemaeker & Ito, 1970).The other antigen is Castle's intrinsic factor (IF), a protein of mol. wt 55 000, which is produced by the parietal cell in man and some other mammals (Hoedemaeker et al, 1964; Fisher & Taylor, 1969) and which mediates the absorption of vitamin B12 in the distal small intestine.