Anemia in Chronic Disease and Ferritin Levels --
Ferritin Is Not an Indicator of Available Hepatic Iron Stores in Anemia of Copper Deficiency in Rats,
Serum ferritin is a sensitive indicator of available iron stores (1), but in certain instances it cannot be used in diagnosis, e.g., in anemias of chronic disease, infections, inflammation, liver disease, and malignancies (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7). Iron stores may be normal or increased, though accompanied by increased serum ferritin, in anemias of chronic disorders, aplastic anemia, sideroblastic anemia, and chronic hemolytic anemia. Because ferritin is also a positive acute-phase reactant protein that is increased in inflammation (2), serum ferritin concentration is not a reliable index of available iron stores in individuals with chronic diseases. There is no information, however, on whether ferritin can be used as a marker of available iron stores in the anemia of copper deficiency.
Unlike iron-deficiency anemia, in which body iron stores are usually depleted as evidenced by diminished serum ferritin concentrations, anemia of copper deficiency (8)(9)(10) results from increased hepatic iron stores and impaired mobilization and delivery of iron from storage to bone marrow for heme synthesis, leading to iron-deficient erythropoiesis (11). Can serum ferritin be utilized as a reliable tool to measure available iron stores in anemia of copper deficiency? We evaluated in experimental copper deficiency the potential usefulness of three different concentrations of dietary iron and their effects on iron availability and degrees of anemia. To measure accurately body iron stores, hepatic iron concentration was determined. The reliability of ferritin as an iron index was tested by comparison with hepatic iron concentration..... Learn more at: http://m.clinchem.org/content/43/8/1457.full and then get properly tested! ;) http://requestatest.com/mag-zinc-copper-panel-with-iron-panel-testing