Ferritin Measurement Techniques in Iron Homeostasis Assessments

Ferritin serves as the primary intracellular iron storage protein and its circulating concentration is widely used to evaluate body iron stores. Accurate measurement of ferritin underpins clinical decision-making in conditions ranging from iron deficiency anaemia to iron overload disorders. Contemporary assays include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, immunoturbidimetric and immunochemiluminescence methods, as well as radiometric and luminescent oxygen channeling immunoassays. Each technique varies in sensitivity, specificity and susceptibility to interfering substances, necessitating rigorous standardisation and harmonisation. Method-specific reference intervals are now recognised as essential to avoid misclassification of iron status, particularly at the diagnostic thresholds for deficiency. Advances in assay calibration using international standards and improved statistical approaches for inter-method comparison have strengthened the reliability of ferritin results across laboratories. Ongoing innovation seeks to simplify workflows, reduce sample volume and enhance point-of-care applicability, thereby broadening access to iron status assessment globally.

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Ferritin Measurement Techniques in Iron Homeostasis Assessments publication trend

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Technical terms

Ferritin: A multi-subunit iron storage protein whose serum concentration reflects total body iron stores.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): A plate-based technique that uses enzyme-labelled antibodies to detect and quantify antigens.

Immunoturbidimetric assay: A method that measures the turbidity caused by antigen–antibody complexes to determine analyte concentration.

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL): A detection technology combining electrochemical stimulation and luminescence emission for high-sensitivity assays.

Passing–Bablok regression: A non-parametric statistical method for assessing agreement and bias between two measurement techniques.

Bland–Altman analysis: A graphical approach to evaluate the agreement between paired measurement methods by plotting differences against means.

Reference interval (RI): The range of values observed in a healthy population, against which patient results are compared.

References

1. Ferritin: A Biomarker Requiring Caution in Clinical Decision. Diagnostics (2024).
2. Performance and comparability of laboratory methods for measuring ferritin concentrations in human serum or plasma: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE (2018).
3. International collaborative study to evaluate and calibrate two recombinant L chain Ferritin preparations for use as a WHO International Standard. Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (2021).
4. Comparison of two ferritin assay platforms to assess their level of agreement in measuring serum and plasma ferritin levels in patients with chronic kidney disease. BMC Nephrology (2023).