Pernicious anemia refers to a type of autoimmune anemia. Antibodies are directed against intrinsic factor or parietal cells which produce intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is required for vitamin B12 absorption, so impaired absorption of vitamin B12 can result. Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. ... Anemia (American English) or anaemia (Commonwealth English), which literally means without blood, is a lack of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. ... Schematic of antibody binding to an antigen An antibody is a protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects like bacteria and viruses. ... Intrinsic factor is a glycoprotein produced by the parietal cells of the stomach. ... Parietal cells (also called oxyntic cells) are cells located in the stomach epithelium. ... Vitamins are organic chemicals that a given living organism requires in trace quantities for good health, but which the organism cannot synthesize, and therefore must obtain from its diet. ... Cobalamin or vitamin B12 is a chemical compound that is also known as cyanocobalamine. ...

Blood testing typically shows a macrocytic anemia, and low levels of serum vitamin B12. A Schilling test can then be used to distinguish between pernicious anemia, vitamin B12 malabsorption, and vitamin B12 deficiency. Approximately 90% of individuals with pernicious anemia have antibodies for parietal cells, however only 50% of individuals with these antibodies have the disease. The Schilling test is a medical investigation used in people with vitamin B12 deficiency. ... Cobalamin or vitamin B12 is a chemical compound that is also known as cyanocobalamine. ...

The term 'pernicious anemia' is sometimes used more loosely to include non-autoimmune causes of vitamin B12 deficiency.

The treatment for pernicious anemia was first devised by William Murphy who bled dogs to make them anemic and then fed them various substances to see what (if anything) would make them healthy again. He discovered that ingesting large amounts of liver seemed to cure the disease. George Minot and George Whipple then set about to chemically isolate the curative substance and ultimately were able to isolate the vitamin B12 from the liver. For this, all three shared the 1934 Nobel Prize in Medicine. As a result, pernicious anemia is now treated with either vitamin B12 injections (hydroxocobalamin or cyanocobalamin), or large oral doses of vitamin B12, typically between 2 and 4 mg daily. See William Beverly Murphy for the food businessman. ... The liver is an organ in vertebrates, including humans. ... George Richards Minot (December 2, 1885 (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) - February 25, 1950) won the 1934 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with William P. Murphy and George H. Whipple for their work in the study of anemia. ... George Hoyt Whipple (August 28, 1878 - February 1, 1976) was one of three recipients in 1934 of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their work on liver therapy in cases of anemia. ... Cobalamin or vitamin B12 is a chemical compound that is also known as cyanocobalamine. ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... List of Nobel Prize laureates in Physiology or Medicine from 1901 to the present day. ...

Treatment

Treatment usually consists of an initial two week course of B12 injections every other day to cause B12 to be stored in the liver, or a longer course if the patient's B12 level is seriously low in the view of the doctor; then booster shots performed at regular intervals, usually once a month, throughout the life of the patient. Injections usually contain a reddish liquid called hydroxycobalamin or cyanocobalamin. They are given directly into the muscle, usually in the arms, to avoid going through the ileum and being destroyed. The chemicals in the shots don't contain B12, but force the body to make B12 from food and then store it in the liver. Cobalamin or vitamin B12 is a chemical compound that is also known as cyanocobalamine. ... The liver is an organ in vertebrates, including humans. ... In semantics, the patient is the passive part of a process. ... A liquid will assume the shape of its container. ... Cyanocobalamin, also known as Cobalamin or vitamin B12, is a chemical compound that is needed for nerve cells and red blood cells, and to make DNA. It is a water-soluble organometallic compound with a trivalent cobalt ion bound inside a corrin ring. ... A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle is a contractile form of tissue. ... The word arms may refer to: The arm, a part of the body A coat of arms; see heraldry Armaments; see weapon The arms of an octopus, squid or cuttlefish See also: ARM This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... In anatomy of the digestive system, the ileum (not to be confused with the ilium, a pelvic bone), is the final section of the small intestine. ... A chemical substance is any material substance used in or obtained by a process in chemistry: A chemical compound is a substance consisting of two or more chemical elements that are chemically combined in fixed proportions. ...

See Also

• Megaloblastic anemia

A newly-formed society for those suffering from Pernicious Anaemia can be found at www.anaemic-society.com Megaloblastic anemia is anemia resulting from a deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid. ...