Ferritin is found in virtually all cells of the body and serves as the cellular storage repository for iron.2,3
Ferritin is a macromolecule with an average molecular weight of near
440 kD that varies depending on the iron content. Ferritin consists of a
protein shell (apoferritin) of 24 subunits surrounding an iron core
consisting of up to 4000 ferric iron ions. The majority of ferritin iron
stores are found in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. Ferritin is
present in small concentration correlates with total-body iron stores,
making its measurement valuable for the assessment of disorders of iron
metabolism.
Low levels of ferritin can be found when iron stores
are exhausted, well before the serum iron level has become affected. In
the setting of anemia, low serum ferritin is a very specific biomarker
for iron deficiency anemia. In fact, there is no clinical situation
other than iron deficiency in which extremely low values of serum
ferritin are seen; however, some clinical states involving infection or
inflammation can cause the ferritin level in the serum of patients with
iron deficiency to increase into the normal range. Ferritin is an
acute-phase reactant that is thought to play a role in the body's
defense against oxidative stress and inflammation. Increased ferritin
values can also be observed in malignant disease, including acute
leukemia; Hodgkin's disease; and carcinoma of the lung, colon, liver,
and prostate. Consequently, serum ferritin in the normal range reflects
iron sufficiency only in the absence of these conditions.
Patients
with a serum ferritin concentration below the lower limit of the
reference interval have a very high probability of being iron deficient;
however, given the low sensitivity of a low ferritin level (below the
lower limit of normal), a higher ferritin cutoff may be more appropriate
for screening for potential iron deficiency in some populations.4-7 It is exceedingly uncommon for ferritin levels to exceed 100 ng/mL in patients with iron deficiency.6,7
An elevated ferritin level can result from iron overload due, in part, to increased hepatic ferritin synthesis.8
Iron overload can occur in hemochromatosis, other excess iron storage
disorders, and in individuals who have received multiple blood
transfusions. Ferritin can also become markedly elevated secondary to
obesity, chronic alcohol consumption, steatohepatitis, chronic
inflammation, viral hepatitis, and malignancy. The increased prevalence
of obesity has likely resulted in the increased incidence of ferritin
elevations, as fatty liver may be the most common cause of an elevated
serum ferritin.8 Clinical assessment is required to determine
whether the serum ferritin elevation is related to hemochromatosis or
another underlying liver disease.9 To confirm the diagnosis of hemochromatosis, other iron tests (iron, TIBC), and genetic testing may be performed.
