RESUMO
Forty-one patients with chronic gastritis without pernicious anaemia and 12 healthy persons with normal gastric mucosa were examined. Cell-mediated immunity [CMI] against gastric fundal and antral mucosal antigens was studied using the leucocyte migration inhibition agarose test [LMAT], and serum parietal cell antibodies [PCA] were examined by the indirect immunofluorescence method. The LMAT was positive in eight [19.5%] out of 41 patients with gastritis and in none of the healthy subjects. In all these cases migration inhibition appeared with antigen that corresponded to gastric lesion. PCA were present in 11 [26.8%] out of 41 patients with gastritis and in 2 [16.7%] out of 12 healthy persons. No significant relationship was found between the PCA and the result of LMAT. Thus, it is concluded that, there is an evidence that immunological factors may participate in the causation of non-specific chronic gastritis