Ferritin

Used in the diagnosis of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. It also plays a role in evaluating the opposite condition, iron overload (hemochromatosis).

For a diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia, the patient must have both iron deficiency (low ferritin and/or low transferrin saturation) and anemia. An important distinction: iron deficiency can also occur without anemia.

Laboratory-specific. Current literature is debating whether sex-specific hemoglobin reference ranges may be flawed and whether relying on a hemoglobin threshold alone may lead to missed diagnoses in menstruating women.

Ferritin is an acute phase reactant; in the presence of infection, inflammation or liver disease, ferritin can be misleadingly normal or high even when iron stores are low. For this reason it should not be interpreted alone, but together with transferrin saturation and a complete blood count.