title: Serum ferritin: physiological and methodological studies.
abstract: Some aspects of normal ferritin physiology have been investigated as well as methodological problems concerning test sample handling etc. No circadian rhythm was found in 11 subjects. The day-to-day variation showed a mean of 9% in 22 subjects, but with considerable individual variation. The ferritin content in erythrocytes was about 0.045 fg/cell, and in leucocytes about 10 fg/cell. Hemolysis of test samples up to a hemoglobin concentration of 3 g/l in the serum did not significantly change the ferritin concentration. This means that hemolysis of test samples is usually no problem in clinical practice. Serum samples could be stored at -20 degrees C for a year or freeze-thawed six times without change in ferritin concentration. Heparin- and sodium citrate plasma gve the same resuls as serum, but EDTA plasma gave 23% (mean) lower values. A moderate amount of alcohol, corresponding to 25 cl of whisky, gave no rise within 56 h in serum ferritin levels in four subjects.
mesh_terms: D002498:Centrifugation; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D006493:Heparin; D005293:Ferritins