Serum ferritin: physiological and methodological studies.
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.
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
D000431:Ethanol; D006493:Heparin; D005293:Ferritins