Autoimmune gastritis: an organ-specific disease or a model of systemic autoimmunity? Parallels, divergences, and emerging insights.

INTRODUCTION

Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is traditionally classified as an organ-specific autoimmune disease; however, emerging evidence highlights its immunological overlap with systemic autoimmunity, warranting a reevaluation of its pathophysiological framework.

AREAS COVERED: This review delineates the immunopathogenic basis of AIG, with particular emphasis on the breakdown of central and peripheral tolerance, the predominance of autoreactive CD4+ T-cell subsets, and the contributions of Th1 and Th17 cytokine profiles. The role of humoral immunity, including autoantibodies as potential biomarkers, is critically appraised. Literature was selected through a targeted search of PubMed and Scopus, prioritizing mechanistic studies, translational research, and recent therapeutic advances, covering the period from January 2000 to March 2025.

EXPERT OPINION: AIG represents a paradigm of localized autoimmunity with systemic immunological features, including cytokine dysregulation and epitope spreading. Although serologic markers are valuable for screening, their prognostic utility remains limited. Therapeutic approaches currently focus on complication prevention rather than immune modulation. Future research should prioritize the identification of predictive biomarkers of disease progression and the development of targeted immunotherapies aimed at restoring immune tolerance and preserving gastric mucosal integrity.