STUDY OF THE FUNCTIONAL STATE OF THE GASTRIC MUCOSA IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA

Chronic iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is commonly associated with structural and functional changes of the gastric mucosa, including reduced acidity, mucosal atrophy, and Helicobacter pylori infection. In this study, 48 IDA patients were examined and divided into two groups based on gastric acidity: normal (n = 26) and reduced (n = 22). Patients with low acidity had lower serum iron (5.3 µmol/L vs. 7.9 µmol/L) and ferritin (7.8 ng/mL vs. 11.6 ng/mL), more frequent mucosal atrophy (59% vs. 19%), and higher prevalence of H. pylori (77% vs. 46%).

Histological analysis showed significant reduction of parietal cells in the low-acidity group. These findings indicate that functional and structural gastric mucosal changes contribute to impaired iron absorption in IDA, highlighting the importance of gastric assessment for optimizing treatment.