Anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in gastric parietal cell antibody-positive and -negative oral lichen planus patients

Background/purpose: Our previous study found the serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity in 23.6 % of oral lichen planus (OLP) patients. This study assessed whether GPCA-positive OLP (GPCA⁺OLP) patients had significantly higher frequencies of macrocytosis, anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than healthy control subjects or GPCA-negative OLP (GPCĀOLP) patients. Materials and methods: The mean corpuscular volume, blood hemoglobin (Hb), and serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and GPCA levels were measured and compared between any two of three groups of 139 GPCA⁺OLP patients, 449 GPCAˉOLP patients, and 588 healthy control subjects. Results: We found that 139 GPCA ⁺ OLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of macrocytosis, blood Hb and serum iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than 588 healthy control subjects (all P-values <0.001) and significantly higher frequencies of macrocytosis, serum iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than 449 GPCAˉOLP patients (all P-values <0.05). Moreover, 449 GPCAˉOLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of macrocytosis, blood Hb and serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than 588 healthy control subjects (all P-values <0.01). Pernicious anemia (41.5 %) and normocytic anemia (29.3 %) were the two most common types of anemia in 41 anemic GPCA⁺OLP patients. Moreover, normocytic anemia (52.3 %), iron deficiency anemia (21.5 %), and thalassemia trait-induced anemia (16.8 %) were the three most common types of anemia in 107 anemic GPCĀOLP patients. Conclusion: GPCA ⁺ OLP patients have significantly higher frequencies of macrocytosis, serum iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than healthy control subjects or GPCĀOLP patients.