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. 2023 Mar 1;58(3):185–195. doi: 10.1007/s00535-022-01954-9

Table 2.

Diagnostic criteria for autoimmune gastritis

(Confirmed diagnosis)
 (A) Either the endoscopic (*details) or histological findings (*details), or both, meet the requirements for autoimmune gastritis

 (B) Gastric autoantibody positive [either anti-parietal cell (*details) or anti-intrinsic factor antibodies, or both]

Those who meet both (A) and (B). (Histological findings and gastric autoantibody positivity only meet the requirements for early stage.)

(Suspicious diagnosis)
 Those who meet only (A). (Histological findings only meet the requirements for early stage.)
 (*Details)
Endoscopic findings < advanced stage > 
 (Main findings)
  Severe mucosal atrophy predominantly from the gastric body to the fundus is observed (uniform mucosal blood vessels are visible)
 (Secondary findings)

  Sticky adherent dense mucus, remnant oxyntic mucosa, and hyperplastic polyps may be observed from the gastric body to the fundus

The antral area is not always normally colored. Patchy redness, red streaks, and circular wrinkle-like patterns may serve as a reference

Of the abovementioned items, the main findings are mandatory

Histological findings
 Diagnosis is by dividing findings into three stages: early stage, advanced florid stage, and advanced end stage (Table 3)
Anti-parietal cell antibody
 Tenfold or more is positive, although this may be changed in the future in consideration of false positives