Ferritin

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"Ferritin" is a storage protein containing iron, which is found mainly in the liver, spleen, bone marrow and intestinal mucosa. A small proportion is released into the bloodstream. The level of ferritin in the blood serum reflects the tissue stores of iron. Its value decreases before the level of transferrin u increases.

It is a complex consisting of the protein apoferritin em and the ferric iron Fe 3+.

Normal values ​​of ferritin

 * Males: 22 - 322 μg / l
 * Women: 10 - 291 μg / l

High Iron level

 * Hemochromatosis,
 * Wilson's disease,
 * Blood transfusion,
 * Excessive iron intake in the diet,
 * Porphyria cutanea tarda,
 * Ineffective erythropoiesis (sideroblastic anemia, thalassemia).

Inflammation
Ferritin is one of the acute phase reactants
 * Rheumatoid arthritis,
 * SLE,
 * non-specific intestinal inflammation,
 * bacterial infections;

Liver disease
Ferritin is stored mainly in hepatocytes, when they are damaged it is released into the blood.
 * liver steatosis (NASH),
 * viral hepatitis B, C;

Other causes
Obesity, alcohol abuse, thyrotoxicosis and malignancies, especially haematological Rarely, extremely high levels of ferritin can be a symptom of histiocytosis or  Still's disease.