[Immune phenomena in chronic gastritis, coincidental or pathogenetic? (author's transl)].

The role of autoimmune processes in the pathogenesis of atrophic gastritis, be it with or without pernicious anemia, is described on the basis of literature data. Various findings in cases of atrophic gastritis favor such a role, e.g. histological findings, the high incidence of autoantibodies against gastric mucosa, a high specificity of gastric antigens in cellular immune reactions, the concomitant occurrence of other auto-immune diseases, the favorable effect of immunosuppressive therapy. On an experimental basis transfer of autoimmune gastritis by lymphocytes from the ductus thoracicus lymph of sick animals to non-immunized animals does support this hypothesis.