Additional Information

Use: Ferritin is the major iron storage protein.  Serum ferritin correlates with total iron stores in normal subjects and in patients with iron deficiency or transfusional iron overloads.  Low serum ferritin is diagnostic for iron deficiency anemia.  Elevated levels are seen in thalassemia or other acute or chronic conditions such as liver disease, respiratory infections and types of malignancy. Other than a bone marrow examination, the serum ferritin is the most reliable indicator of total body iron stores.  When combined with the serum iron and percent saturation of iron binding capacity/transferrin, it can usually differentiate the microcytic hypochromic anemias into iron deficiency anemia, the anemia of chronic disease or thalassemia.