Erythrocyte ferritin in patients with normal and abnormal iron metabolism

Erythrocyte and serum ferritin was determined in 36 patients with different pictures of diseases and under bleeding therapy in idiopathic haemochromatosis (IH). With latent iron deficiency there was no significant difference in the ferritin content of erythrocytes in comparison with the control group. The intraerythrocyte ferritin content in idiopathic haemochromatosis is always increased and will normalize under bleeding therapy as well serum ferritin. After disrupting the therapy the ferritin content in erythrocytes will more rapidly increase again than in the serum. Increased erythrocyte ferritin could be identified in patients with anaemia due to ineffective erythropoiesis.