Serum Ferritin in Alcoholics and the Relation to Liver Damage, Iron State and Erythropoietic Activity

Abstract

Serum ferritin was measured in 2 groups of alcoholics. The 1st group consisted of 71 individuals on ambulatory control and with varying current alcohol intake, and the 2nd group comprised 19 alcoholics followed with serial determinations during 2 wk of abstinence. Serum ferritin was elevated in 26 subjects in the 1st group and 22 of them had elevated ASAT [aspartate aminotransferase] and ALAT [alanine aminotransferase] values. Low-grade but significant correlations were found between serum levels of ferritin and serum concentrations of some variables used to detect liver affection (ASAT, ALAT, bilirubin and .gamma.-GT [.gamma.-glutamyl transpeptidase]). Serum ferritin and ASAT declined in a parallel fashion in the 19 patients studied longitudinally, so that the ferritin:ASAT ratio described a straight line. No correlation was found between serum ferritin or serum ferritin:ASAT ratio and serum Fe. No correlation was observed between the magnitude of changes in serum ferritin and changes in serum Fe, serum transferrin or circulating platelets or reticulocytes observed in the serially followed alcoholics. Elevated serum ferritin in alcoholics was associated with the degree of liver affection and not with the degree of erythropoietic activity.