Clinical significance of serum ferritin and leukocyte ferritin estimation in adult leukemias
Chen, L.L.; Wang, S.T.; Chen, S.S.
Chinese Medical Journal 100(1): 63-67
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0366-6999 PMID: 3109828 Document Number: 289111
By radio-immunoassay, normal serum ferritin (SF) values in our study range from 12-260 ng/ml with a median value of 86 ng/ml in males and 11-250 ng/ml with a 55.5 ng/ml median in females. SF is significantly higher in males than in females (P < 0.005). However, the normal leukocyte ferritin (WBCF) values are similar in both sexes, 1.1-9.0 ng/106 cells in males and 1.0-8.4 ng/106 cells in females. SF as well as WBCF were very high in untreated adult acute leukemia and relapses occurred. SF correlated with the WBCF. The SF and WBCF correlated well with the percentage of blast cells in the blood and bone marrow of patients with ANLL. Most of the patients with more than one year of remission had stable SF and WBCF within normal range. Patients with higher levels of SF and WBCF in complete remission show a tendency to relapse more easily than patients with normal levels. When the disease is complicated by infection, hepatic damage, or during chemotherapy, SF level can increase; but the WBCF does not change markedly. Our data indicate that changing SF and WBCF can be good predictors of therapeutic response and prognosis, but WBCF is more reliable.