Elevation of serum ferritin is associated with the outcome of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.
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.
Song
Moo-Kon
MK
Department of Hematology-Oncology, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea.
Chung
Joo-Seop
JS
Seol
Young-Mi
YM
Shin
Ho-Jin
HJ
Choi
Young-Jin
YJ
Cho
Goon-Jae
GJ
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
D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins