An evaluation of serum ferritin determination in chronic hemodialysis patients with persistent low serum iron concentration.

Low serum iron concentration is not rare in chronic hemodialysis patients. Therefore it is important to differentiate true iron deficiency from reactive low serum iron concentration. We have evaluated the utility of determining serum ferritin concentration to differentiate iron deficiency in chronic hemodialysis patients with persistent low serum iron concentration. Parenteral iron therapy (40 mg/week, group 1, n = 12) for 3 months caused a 3.0% increase in hematocrit level compared to a group 2 (n = 12; p less than 0.05). Serum ferritin concentration in logarithmic scale was significantly correlated with serum iron concentration (r = 0.671; p less than 0.05). The change in hematocrit level was significantly correlated with that in serum iron concentration (r = 0.648; p less than 0.05), but not with the change in serum ferritin concentration. Persistent low serum iron concentration may be an indication for iron supplement even though the serum ferritin concentrations are in the normal range.