What causes pernicious anemia?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question: What causes pernicious anemia?

Option presented: A vitamin deficiency

Analysis of the option:
- Interpreting the idea behind a vitamin deficiency: Pernicious anemia is not caused by a simple lack of vitamins in the diet; rather, it is specifically a deficiency of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) due to impaired absorption. In many cases this impaired absorption stems from a lack of intrinsic factor, which is necessary for B12 absorption in the ileum. So, while the root issue is a deficiency of a vitamin (B12), the underlying mechanism is autoimmune or intrinsic-factor-related rather than a generic dietary shortfall.

Why this option is partially accurate but potentially incomplete:
- It correctly points to a deficiency in a vitamin (B12) as central to pernicious anemia, since without sufficient B12, red blood cell formation is impaired, leading to anemia. However, labeling the cause simply as a “vitamin deficiency” can be overly broad because it omits the key pathophysiological mechanism (autoimmune destruction of intrinsic factor or gastric parietal cells) that prevents B12 absorption.

If there were other options, we would compare them:
- A more precise correct framing would identify the cause as a lack of intrinsic factor leading to vitamin B12 deficiency, or specifically: “deficiency of vitamin B12 due to impaired intrinsic factor production/absorption.”
- Other options that might be seen (but are not provided here) could include dietary B12 deficiency, folate deficiency, or non-megaloblastic anemias. Of these, pernicious anemia is distinct in its mechanism and is not typically caused by diet alone.

Conclusion about the given option:
- The statement “A vitamin deficiency” captures the essential outcome (B12 deficiency causes pernicious anemia) but it lacks the critical mechanism (intrinsic factor–related absorption failure). In a multiple-choice setting, this option would be considered a partially correct or incomplete description unless the test expects a broad causal category.

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What causes pernicious anemia?

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