• P L Spada, C Rossi, A Alimonti, B Bocca, B M Ricerca, M G Bocci, Myrtò Carvelli, C Vulpio, G Luciani, and P De Sole.
• Department of Surgery, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo A. Gemelli 8, Rome, Italy.
• Clin. Biochem. 2009 Nov 1; 42 (16-17): 1654-7.

AbstractThe present study describes the specific content of ferritin iron, zinc and aluminium in four different groups: 1) hemodialysis hyperferritinemic patients; 2) septic patients; 3) iron overloaded patients with hematologic diseases; and 4) blood donors. In all four groups high levels of aluminium and zinc were found in addition to those of iron. However, the sum of the ferritin ions of the control group is significantly higher than that of the other three groups. Furthermore, while ferritin of hemodialysis patients has the same molecular ratio of metal ions as control group (high Al content vs. Fe and Zn), a lower Al/Fe ratio is found both in septic and hematological patients. The results of the present paper might help to explain the high percentage of hyperferritinemia found in hemodialysis patients also in presence of low transferrin saturation and in absence of inflammatory markers. Moreover, the high content of ions other than iron in the ferritin core leads us to believe that ferritin is not only an iron storage protein but rather a regulator of redox active ions.

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