title: Serum ferritin.
abstract: (1) Brief introduction to iron metabolism and the biochemistry of ferritin. (2) Early studies of circulating ferritin. (3) Methods for measuring serum ferritin concentrations -- immunoradiometric, radioimmuno- and enzyme-linked immuno assays based on liver or spleen ferritin -- an evaluation of these techniques. (4) Serum ferritin concentrations in normal subjects -- definition of normality -- relationship between storage iron and serum ferritin concentrations -- changes during development from birth to old age -- iron deficiency -- variability of serum ferritin concentration -- evaluation of use of ferritin assay for assessment of storage iron levels. (5) Serum ferritin concentrations in disease -- hemochromatosis -- secondary iron overload -- liver damage -- infection and chronic disease -- cancer. (6) Assay of serum ferritin with antibodies to ferritins other than liver or spleen -- ferritinemia and cancer. (7) Properties of serum ferritin -- molecular weight -- iron content -- isoelectric focusing patterns -- carbohydrate content -- immunological properties. (8) Physiology of circulating ferritin -- release of ferritin from tissues -- origin of circulating ferritin -- clearance from the plasma -- iron and protein turnover. (9) Summary -- factors influencing serum ferritin concentrations and clinical use of ferritin estimations.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007938:Leukemia / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods; D012737:Sex Factors; D013154:Spleen / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins