Steroids and Addisonian Pernicious Anemia

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Abstract
ADMINISTRATION of steroids to patients with Addisonian pernicious anemia in relapse often produces a hematologic response.1 There is an improvement in vitamin B12 absorption2 3 4 and with it an increase in secretion of intrinsic factor5 and a decline in the amount of intrinsic-factor antibody in the blood.6 The absorption of vitamin B12 after total gastrectomy is not improved by steroid therapy.7 There is good evidence that gastric atrophy is the result of an autoimmune process. It is also possible that the final failure of vitamin B12 absorption in pernicious anemia follows the development of antibodies against intrinsic factor. . . .