High incidence of type II autoantibodies in pernicious anaemia

• Published in: Journal of clinical pathology Vol. 46; no. 1; pp. 45 - 47
• Main Authors: Waters, H M, Dawson, D W, Howarth, J E, Geary, C G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists 01.01.1993; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Anemia, Pernicious - immunology; Anemias. Hemoglobinopathies; Autoantibodies - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Diseases of red blood cells; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Intrinsic Factor - immunology; Medical sciences; Radioimmunoassay; Human; Immunopathology; Intrinsic factor; Pathophysiology; Autoantibody; Vitamin deficiency; Autoimmune disease; Hemopathy; B-Vitamins; Biermer disease; ELISA assay; Cyanocobalamin
• ISSN: 0021-9746; 1472-4146
• DOI: 10.1136/jcp.46.1.45

AIMS: To investigate the incidence of type II autoantibodies to intrinsic factor in pernicious anaemia. METHODS: Three hundred and forty four serum samples submitted for intrinsic factor antibody (IFAB) analysis on clinical or laboratory grounds were tested by an established radioassay and a new enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for type I and total IFAB, respectively. Sixty of these were found to be positive by ELISA; this method was used to test further, 40 samples of adequate volume for types I and II antibodies. RESULTS: Type II antibodies were detected in 39 of the 40 sera tested. A comparative analysis indicated that seven samples contained pure type II antibody, being positive for total and type II by ELISA, but negative for type I by both the ELISA and radioassay technique. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of type II antibody, both alone and in combination with type I, seems to be more common than has previously been recognised, and emphasises the advantage of using a technique which will detect both types of antibody.