REVIEW PAPER
Ferritin – novel uses of a well-known marker in paediatrics
1
Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
Submission date: 2022-10-15
Final revision date: 2022-11-21
Acceptance date: 2022-11-25
Publication date: 2023-03-24
Corresponding author
Małgorzata Sawicka-Żukowska
Małgorzata Sawicka-Żukowska, Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
Małgorzata Sawicka-Żukowska, Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
Pediatr Pol 2023;98(1):57-65
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Serum ferritin is one of the most widely used laboratory tests and is associated with both iron deficiency and iron overload. Currently, more and more attention is paid to the involvement of ferritin in processes other than iron metabolism. Low serum ferritin is unanimously associated with iron deficiency, while elevated serum ferritin may be a consequence of various medical conditions such as iron overload, an inflammatory process, SARS-CoV-2, organ failure, cancer, and endocrine disorders, including metabolic syndrome. We present a review of the literature on the role of ferritin in a variety of less obvious disease states in children.
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