Achlorhydria Achlorhydria Classifications and external resources Hydrogen chloride ( major component of gastric acid ) ICD - 10 K 31 . 8 ICD - 9 536 . 0 DiseasesDB 29513 eMedicine med/18   MeSH D000126 Achlorhydria or hypochlorhydria is decreased production of gastric acid by the stomach . Causes Its main cause is antibody production against parietal cells , the cells that normally produce the acid , and is therefore an autoimmune disorder . It also occurs after long-term proton pump inhibitor therapy , or in patients with the rare disease mucolipidosis ( type IV ) . It can be part of pernicious anemia , atrophic gastritis , VIPomas or of carcinoid of the stomach . Diagnosis 90% of all patients have detectable antibodies against the H+/K+ ATP-ase `` proton pump '' . The diagnosis is made if the gastric pH remains high ( > 4.0 ) despite maximum pentagastrin stimulation . High gastrin levels are often detected . Presentation Achlorhydria leads to bacterial overgrowth since the disinfectant qualities of the gastric acid are too weak . This can lead to infections ( such as with Vibrio vulnificus ) . Treatment Treatment focuses on replacing vitamin B12 ( which is poorly absorbed in the absence of intrinsic factor ) and avoiding foods that may be have a high bacterial load . Sources  This medical sign article is a stub . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it . Categories : Medical signs | Gastroenterology | Medical sign stubs In other languages : Deutsch | Italiano | Polski | Sicilianu Achlorhydria Hydrogen-chloride-3D-vdW-labelled.png Hydrogen chloride ( major component of gastric acid ) 29513 K 31.8 536.0 med 18 D000126 