[Ferritin. Radioimmunological determination in serum and clinical significance (author's transl)].

Ferritin is an iron storage protein which has been shown to be present in blood serum only recently. An immunoradiometric determination of ferritin in 324 subjects with different iron stores is reported. In healthy men and women a ferritin concentration of 131 microgram/l (SD: 1,59) and 67 microgram/l (SD: 1,79) was found respectively. In male and female blood donors as well as patients with iron deficiency and iron overload significant differences of serum ferritin concentration could be demonstrated. In clinical practice the determination of serum ferritin is a valuable method for the estimation of body iron stores.