Cutting edge issues in autoimmune gastritis.

Autoimmune gastritis is the outcome of a pathological CD4 T cell-mediated autoimmune response directed against the gastric H/K-ATPase. Silent initially, the gastric lesion becomes manifest in humans by the development of megaloblastic pernicious anemia arising from vitamin B12 deficiency. Cutting edge issues in this disease relate to its epidemiology, immunogenetics, a role for Helicobacter pylori as an infective trigger through molecular mimicry, its immunopathogenesis, associated organ-specific autoimmune diseases, laboratory diagnosis, and approaches to curative therapy.