title: Elevation of serum ferritin is associated with the outcome of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serum ferritin is a marker of acute phase reactions and iron storage. In addition, hematologic malignancies are associated with elevated serum ferritin levels. Other studies have suggested that ferritin is a surrogate for advanced disease and has an impact on relapse, because elevated serum ferritin predicts overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival following autologous stem cell transplantation for lymphomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 89 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma to determine the value of serum ferritin in comparison with known prognostic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The OS in the elevated serum ferritin group (>or=300 ng/mL) was shorter than that in the normal serum ferritin group (<300 ng/mL, p<0.001) after a median follow-up of 25 months. In univariate analysis, elevated ferritin was correlated with poor survival in the patients (relative risk [RR], 2.588; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.536 to 4.358; p<0.001). Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that elevated serum ferritin was an independent predictor of mortality in patients with multiple myeloma (RR, 2.594; 95% CI, 1.403 to 4.797; p=0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The serum ferritin can a prognostic parameter of survival as well as disease activity in patients with multiple myeloma.
authors: Department of Hematology-Oncology, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea.
authors: Moo-Kon
authors: MK
authors: Song
authors: Joo-Seop
authors: JS
authors: Chung
authors: Young-Mi
authors: YM
authors: Seol
authors: Ho-Jin
authors: HJ
authors: Shin
authors: Young-Jin
authors: YJ
authors: Choi
authors: Goon-Jae
authors: GJ
authors: Cho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins