[The course of serum ferritin in blood donors].

In the course of 18 months there occurred a decrease in the serum ferritin concentration from 58 +/- 2 micrograms/l to 32 +/- 1 micrograms/l in male donors after 5-6 donations of 400 ml of blood each. Female permanent donors showed a constantly lowered content of an average of 15 +/- 1 micrograms/l. Female first donors attained the serum ferritin level of permanent female donors with the fourth donation, whereas it was not until the fifth donation that male first donors declined to the level of permanent donors. This decrease of serum ferritin content in blood donors points to a depletion of iron stores. This process should be counteracted by exerting an increased influence on nutritional habits supported by oral iron substitution and diminishing the frequency of donation, particularly for female blood donors.