[The gastric anatomico-functional aspects (parietal cell mass, stimulated acid secretion and gastrinemia) in pernicious anemia].

We present here a study of parietal cell mass, stimulated acid secretion and basal gastrinemia both in the course of isolated chronic atrophic gastritis of the body-fundus and in chronic atrophic gastritis of the body-fundus associated with pernicious anemia. Analysis of our results evidences an overlapping cyto-secretory profile characterized by hypoparietalism with hypo-achlorhydria. The higher basal gastrinemia levels in pernicious anemia depend on the histological status of the antral mucosa--which was always normal in the patients with pernicious anemia--rather than any substantial morpho-functional differences of the body-fundus. We thus conclude that the term "atrophic gastritis" should be abolished, and that the term "chronic atrophic gastritis" be used to describe both conditions.