Written by Evgeny Zaytsev, physician in clinical laboratory diagnostics.
The test gives us a single number, yet that number lets us suspect three different diseases at once. What other test can claim to be this informative? The «Leukoformula» team recommends it to everyone, and to women in particular.
Iron deficiency anaemia #
A low serum ferritin is the gold-standard marker of iron deficiency. Most people tie the word «anaemia» to a lack of haemoglobin. But there is a special form — hidden anaemia, in which haemoglobin is still normal. It is called latent iron deficiency anaemia.
This is the most widespread disease on Earth: more than a billion people have it. Russian federal guidelines put the key threshold for the diagnosis at below 30 ng/ml.
Symptoms of a low ferritin:
- hair loss;
- muscle weakness;
- apathy;
- a twitching eyelid;
- a fast heartbeat;
- shortness of breath on exertion.
Inflammation in the body #
Ferritin is an acute-phase protein. Inflammation is most often set off by an infection — bacterial, viral or other — though not necessarily.
Hereditary haemochromatosis #
This disease used to be called «bronze diabetes», because an excess of iron turns the skin brown. Because of a mutation in the HFE gene the body cannot control how much iron it absorbs. It becomes overloaded with the metal ion, and the liver suffers most of all.
In this disease the ferritin concentration rises sharply. Yet the other markers of inflammation are absent: C-reactive protein stays below 10 mg/l and body temperature is normal.
About ferritin #
Ferritin is the protein that stores iron; its serum level reflects the body’s iron stores and helps to diagnose iron deficiency anaemia. Circulating ferritin rises during viral infections and can act as a marker of viral replication. Raised ferritin levels caused by a cytokine storm have also been reported in patients with severe COVID-19.
Source #
Cheng L. et al. Ferritin in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A systematic review and meta-analysis // Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis. — 2020. — Vol. 34, No. 10.
