Anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and gastric parietal cell antibody positivity in recurrent aphthous stomatitis patients with or without hyperhomocysteinemia

Authors

• Yi-Ping Wang, Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• Yu-Hsueh Wu, Department of Stomatology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
• Yi-Pang Lee, Department of Dentistry, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
• Julia Yu-Fong Chang, Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• Andy Sun, Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• Chun-Pin Chiang, Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanFollow

Abstract

Background/purpose: Our previous study found that 42 of 430 recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) patients have hyperhomocysteinemia. This study assessed whether these 42 RAS patients with hyperhomocysteinemia (hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients) had significantly higher frequencies of anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity than 388 RAS patients without hyperhomocysteinemia (non-hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients) or 430 healthy control subjects.

Materials and methods: The blood hemoglobin (Hb) and serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and GPCA levels in 42 hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients, 388 non-hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients, and 430 healthy control subjects were measured and compared.

Results: We found that 42 hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients had significantly higher frequencies of macrocytosis, blood Hb and serum iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, and serum GPCA positivity than 430 healthy control subjects (all P-values < 0.001) as well as significantly higher frequencies of macrocytosis, blood Hb and serum vitamin B12 deficiencies, and serum GPCA positivity than 388 non-hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients (all P-values < 0.001). Anemia was found in 24 of 42 hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients and in 84 of 388 non-hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients. Normocytic anemia (10 cases), macrocytic anemia other than pernicious anemia (PA, 7 cases), and PA (4 cases) were the three most common types of anemia in 42 hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients. Moreover, the 42 hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients had significantly higher frequencies of macrocytic anemia, normocytic anemia, and overall anemia than the 388 non-hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients.

Conclusion: Hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients had significantly higher frequencies of macrocytosis, anemia, serum vitamin B12 deficiency, and serum GPCA positivity than healthy control subjects and non-hyperhomocysteinemia/RAS patients.

Recommended Citation

Wang, Yi-Ping; Wu, Yu-Hsueh; Lee, Yi-Pang; Chang, Julia Yu-Fong; Sun, Andy; and Chiang, Chun-Pin (2026) "Anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and gastric parietal cell antibody positivity in recurrent aphthous stomatitis patients with or without hyperhomocysteinemia," Journal of Dental Sciences: Vol. 21: Iss. 4, Article 57.
Available at: https://jds.ads.org.tw/journal/vol21/iss4/57

Publication Date

2026

Received Date

August 8 2026

Accepted Date

August 10 2026