Pernicious Anemia
The risk of gastric cancer has increased among pernicious anemia patients. Vitamin B12 is essential to the body’s correct functioning. It maintains the integrity of nerve and blood cells. It contributes to the correct replication of DNA during cell division. In pernicious anemia, the body cannot absorb vitamin B12 from food correctly. Parietal cells are responsible for the synthesis of gastric acid and the absorption of vitamin B12. However, autoimmune atrophic gastritis causes the body to begin destroying the parietal cells, which in the long run causes DNA damage and stomach cancer.
