Leukocyte migration inhibition and parietal cell antibody test in chronic gastritis without pernicious anaemia.

Forty-one patients with chronic gastritis and 12 healthy persons with normal gastritic mucosa were examined. Cell-mediated immunity against gastric fundal and antral mucosal antigens was studied by means of the leukocyte migration inhibition agarose test (LMAT), and serum parietal cell antibodies (PCA) were examined by the immunofluorescence method. The LMAT was positive in 8 out of 41 patients with gastritis and in none of the healthy subjects. In all these cases migration inhibition appeared with antigen that corresponded to gastric lesion. PCA were present in 11 out of 41 patients with gastritis and in 2 out of 12 healthy persons. No significant relationship was found between the PCA test and the result of LMAT.