PRELIMINARY CLINICAL USE OF SERUM FERRITIN ASSAY

The clinical use of serum ferritia assay has been investigated. The mean serum level of ferritin in 44 patients with iron dificiency" anemia was 5.9 ng/ml, and 95% cases had a concentration of 14≤ng/ml, a value indicating depletion of iron stores. Applying this parameter to our normal population, 6.9% of men and 18.6% of women showed the serum ferritin concentration compatible with depleted iron stores. In anemia with dyserythropoisis caused by decreased iron utilization, such as sideroblastic anemia, refractory anemia, anemina in renal failure, serum ferritrn may be markedly increased. In most patients with anemia of chronic disease, the value was within nomal range.
In PNH, patients may have iron stores ranging from absent to marked increase. Thus, the assay of serum ferritin is of criticai importance in evaluating the iron status of anemia patients.
Elevated serum ferritin was found in patients with primary liver cancer, lung cancer, chorioma, acute monocytic leukaemia, acute myelomonecytic leukaemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphosarcoma To use the ferritin assay in conjugation with other tumour marker such as αFP, CEA, etc. may be of some help in the diagnosis of cancer, The value of serum ferritin in monitoring the disease state is worthy of further observation.