Clinical significance:This test is an important indicator for the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia and one of the markers for malignant tumors.
Increased serum ferritin, aplastic anemia (decreased iron utilization), hemolytic anemia (excessive iron release); hemochromatosis and repeated blood transfusions (increased iron absorption or storage), lead poisoning and vitamin B6 deficiency caused by anemia (decreased iron utilization), malignant neoplasms, liver lesions, acute infections.
Ferritin is a protein with a large molecular weight and is the main storage form of iron. Ferritin is measured at 400 ng/ml as the upper limit of normal, and is often elevated and greater than this value in certain tumors, commonly found in: acute leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, lung cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, and prostate cancer. Detecting ferritin has diagnostic value for liver metastatic tumors. 76% of patients with liver metastases have ferritin levels higher than 400 ng/ml. Combining the test with AFP, especially in patients with liver cancer who have normal AFP, can improve the diagnostic rate. Elevated ferritin may be due to cell necrosis, blocked erythropoiesis or increased synthesis in tumor tissue.
Ferritin measurement is suitable for understanding the iron metabolism in the body. Detection of ferritin at the beginning of treatment can reflect the iron stores in the body at that time, and can detect the deficiency of iron storage in the reticuloendothelial system at an early stage. In clinical practice, a threshold of 20 ng/ml is effective in determining latent iron deficiency and suggesting depletion of iron stores. Normally stored iron is available for hemoglobin synthesis, and below 12 ng/ml, latent iron insufficiency is judged to be present. Both of these measurements, without the need for further laboratory references, remain true even in the presence of normal hemocyte morphology. The presence of iron deficiency can be suggested if it is accompanied by microcytic hypochromic anemia. If the ferritin level is high and the possibility of abnormal iron supply is ruled out, it can reflect the condition of iron excess in the body. It is recommended that you go to Wuhan Mingren Institute of Kidney Disease for a checkup.