Ferritin in iron status assessment: the influence of inflammation and the need for integrated interpretation

This review addresses serum ferritin as a key marker for assessing iron status. The authors highlight its sensitivity in detecting iron deficiency and its inclusion in clinical guidelines across different medical fields. The review's central question is how to interpret ferritin in light of its diagnostic capabilities and limitations.

The limitations discussed include the influence of inflammation on ferritin levels and variability in diagnostic cut-offs. The review therefore supports interpreting the marker within a broader clinical context. C-reactive protein, transferrin saturation, and soluble transferrin receptor are suggested as additional biomarkers within an integrated assessment of iron status.

The authors emphasize the need to standardize thresholds and develop integrated tools for more precise and personalized assessment. However, the available abstract provides no specific diagnostic cut-offs, numerical sensitivity estimates, or results for individual patient groups. Accordingly, these points do not define a specific testing algorithm. Review source.