title: Increased serum ferritin levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients.
abstract: Iron misregulation promotes oxidative stress, a proposed pathological mechanism in neurodegenerative disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum iron metabolism indicators in 60 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and 44 age matched controls. Serum ferritin levels were significantly increased in ALS patients compared to controls (p < 0.001), while no differences in the levels of serum iron, transferrin, iron saturation or total iron binding capacity were found. Likewise no differences in C reactive protein (CRP) or caeruloplasmin were detected, suggesting that the elevated ferritin levels in ALS did not merely indicate an acute phase response. The increased ferritin level may reflect a general increase in stored iron or be a consequence of ongoing muscle degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurology Group, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Biomedical Research, The Medical School, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Goodall
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Morrison
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016011:Normal Distribution; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron; D002570:Ceruloplasmin