Ferritin is a protein that stores iron. Low ferritin is a precursor to anemia, so if you do nothing about the low ferritin level your iron level will eventually drop.
ferritin
ferritin is the major soluble iron storage protein and caan be measured in serun . transferrin carries iron in serun
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron and releases it in a controlled fashion. Hence, the body has a "buffer" against iron deficiency (if the blood has too little iron, ferritin can release more) and, to a lesser extent, iron overload (if the blood and tissues of the body have too much iron, ferritin can help to store the excess iron).
Bind it to apo-ferritin
An apoferritin is a form of ferritin which is not combined with iron.
Ferritin is a globular protein complex consisting of 24 protein subunits and is the primary intracellular iron-storage protein in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, keeping iron in a soluble and non-toxic form. Ferritin that is not combined with iron is called apoferritin.Ferritin is a globular protein complex consisting of 24 protein subunits and is the primary intracellular iron-storage protein in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, keeping iron in a soluble and non-toxic form. Ferritin that is not combined with iron is called apoferritin.
If ferritin is high, there is iron in excess or else there is an acute inflammatory reaction in which ferritin is mobilized without iron excess. For example, ferritins may be high in infection without signalling body iron overload.Ferritin is also used as a marker for iron overload disorders, such as hemochromatosis or hemosiderosis. Adult-onset Still's disease, porphyria, and Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis are diseases in which the ferritin level may be abnormally raised. As ferritin is also an acute-phase reactant, it is often elevated in the course of disease. A normal C-reactive protein can be used to exclude elevated ferritin caused by acute phase reactions.According to a study of anorexia nervosa patients, ferritin can be elevated during periods of acute malnourishment
Routine tests with high ferritin levels can be an indication of an iron storage disorder. One such disorder is hemochromatosis. This is a genetic disorder that results in iron-overload in the body.
Ferritin is produced in nearly every cell in the body. Ferritin is a large protein that stores up to 4,500 iron atoms in its core. Iron has to be stored because we only absorb 10% of iron from our food meaning it is difficult to obtain and iron tends to participate in harmful free radical forming chemical reactions. Iron also cannot exist in the body by itself. Each atom has to be attached to a protein or small molecule (chelator) at all times or it will precipitate out of solution and will form rust in the body somewhat similar to the form it exists when it is stored in ferritin. Thus the need for ferritin to be produced by nearly all cells in the body, so there can be a reserve of iron in the body to supply the much needed iron and remove excess iron that could be harmful.
Ferritin
ferritin, hemosiderin, and transferrin