Question

Deficiency of which vitamin causes the disease pernicious anaemia?

Answer 1

Hint: The disease pernicious anaemia is caused by a vitamin ${B_{12}}$ deficiency. Pernicious anaemia is a disorder in which your body is unable to absorb vitamin ${B_{12}}$ . This is due to a deficiency of intrinsic factor, a stomach-produced protein. Vitamin ${B_{12}}$ insufficiency is caused by a shortage of this protein. Vitamin ${B_{12}}$ injections are given to the patient to correct this deficit.

Complete answer:
One cause of vitamin ${B_{12}}$ deficiency anaemia is pernicious anaemia. It's thought to be caused primarily by an autoimmune disease that prevents a person from producing a chemical called intrinsic factor in the stomach. This chemical is required for the small intestine to absorb dietary vitamin ${B_{12}}$ . Vitamin ${B_{12}}$ is a necessary ingredient for the synthesis and function of red blood cells in the body.
To absorb vitamin ${B_{12}}$ , your body also needs a protein called intrinsic factor (IF). The parietal cells in the stomach create the protein IF. When you take vitamin ${B_{12}}$ , it travels to your stomach, where it is bound by IF. The two are then absorbed in the small intestine's last section. In most cases of pernicious anaemia, the immune system targets and destroys the cells in the stomach that create IF, known as parietal cells. The stomach cannot produce IF and the small intestine cannot absorb vitamin ${B_{12}}$ from the meals if these cells are damaged.
Because it was originally thought to be a fatal disease, this type of anaemia is nicknamed "pernicious." This was due to a shortage of therapy options. Today, however, the condition can be treated well with vitamin ${B_{12}}$ injections or even oral supplements. Vitamin ${B_{12}}$ deficiency, which can occur for a variety of reasons, can lead to serious problems if left untreated.

Note:
Pernicious anaemia, on the other hand, may have a genetic component, and may run in families. Pernicious anaemia affects children who are born with a genetic abnormality that prohibits them from producing IF.