AUTOIMMUNE ENTEROPATHY WITH SEVERE ATROPHIC GASTRITIS AND COLITIS IN AN ADULT - PROPOSAL OF A GENERALIZED AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER OF THE ALIMENTARY-TRACT

Background: We describe the case of an adult with autoimmune enteropat hy consistent with both severe atrophic,gastritis accompanying antral stenosis and colitis. Methods and Results: The patient, positive for a nti-intrinsic factor antibody, had intractable diarrhea and protein-lo sing enteropathy. In the iIeum inflammatory cells were observed infilt rating the lamina propria along with villus atrophy, and similar infla mmation was also found in the lamina propria of the colon and stomach. with complete loss of specialized glands. The myenteric ganglion cell s of the hypertrophied muscularis propria in the stenosed antrum showe d degeneration with surrounding T-lymphocyte infiltration. There were more CD8(+) than CD4(+) lymphocytes in the lamina propria of the stoma ch and colon. Conclusions: The CD8(+) (suppressor-cytotoxic) T lymphoc ytes may have played an important role in the production of lesions in the stomach. small intestine, and colon, so eve propose this case as an example of a generalized autoimmune disorder of the alimentary trac t.