What does serum ferritin test?

Serum protein is a very important substance and is indispensable to the human body. The level of serum protein changes very frequently in the body, which has a great impact on the body. Modern medicine can detect health changes in the body in a timely manner through testing of serum proteins. Let’s take a look at what serum ferritin tests. I hope everyone can understand this aspect.

Ferritin is one of the main forms of iron storage in the human body. It has the ability to bind and store iron to maintain the body's iron supply and the relative stability of hemoglobin. Serum ferritin measurement is the most sensitive indicator for examining iron deficiency in the body. It is used to diagnose iron deficiency anemia, liver disease, etc. It is also one of the markers of malignant tumors.

Clinical significance:

(1) Elevated ferritin: The cause is an increase in the source of ferritin or a clearance disorder. Such as excessive blood transfusion, malnutrition, inflammation, liver disease, etc. Patients with malignant tumors such as liver cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, leukemia, etc., especially primary liver cancer, will have increased ferritin synthesised by cancer cells, causing elevated serum ferritin levels.

(2) Decreased ferritin: seen in iron deficiency anemia, nutritional anemia, blood loss, iron absorption disorder caused by long-term diarrhea, infection, cirrhosis, etc.

Note:

(1) Serum iron levels are highest in the morning and gradually decrease in the afternoon. A blood sample should be collected in the morning on an empty stomach.

(2) Before the examination, be cautious when using iron supplements or avoid eating foods high in iron, such as animal liver; avoid eating substances that can chelate with iron, such as tea.

(3) During menstruation, pregnancy and infant growth, women’s serum iron levels may decrease due to increased iron requirements in the body. This is a physiological phenomenon.

Related diseases:

Primary liver cancer in the elderly, idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, anemia of chronic diseases, anemia caused by acute blood loss, idiopathic hemosiderosis, iron deficiency anemia, breast cancer in the elderly, hereditary hemochromatosis, anemia of premature infants, and iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy.