Aurora Ferr Assay

Ferritin is a large globulin with a molecular weight of about 450000 and composed of 24 non covalently linked subunits. The subunit forms a shell around a center containing an indefinite amount of ferric hydroxyphosphate. A ferritin molecule can bind 4000 to 5000 iron atoms, so ferritin becomes the main iron storage protein in the body. Ferritin can mainly be found in the cytoplasm of the reticuloendothelial cells, in liver cells and to a small extent in the precursors of the red cells in the bone marrow. It stores iron in a biologically mobilizable form. Thus, it gives a measure of the amount of iron available for hemoglobin synthesis. The determination of serum ferritin has its significance in the diagnosis and monitoring of iron deficiency. Reduced ferritin serum levels indicate iron deficiency; iron overload or idiopathic haemochromatosis are associated with elevated ferritin serum concentrations.