Specimen:

Plasma

Collection Medium:

Alternate
Collection Media:

Call laboratory for additional acceptable specimen collection 
containers.

Minimum:

2 ml whole blood from light green top tube or two 0.6 light green 
microtubes

Testing Schedule:

24 hrs/day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

Analytic Time:

2 hours (upon receipt in laboratory)

Reference Range:

Manufacturer's reference range:
  Adult male     22 - 322 ng/ml
  Adult female   13 - 150 ng/ml
See also: Am J Clin Path, 70: 79, 1978; Can Med Assoc J, 114: 417, 1976
Iron deficiency 0-20 ng/ml

Comments:

New analytical immunoassay instituted 4/24/00 at 1000.

Test
Limitations:

The assay is unaffected by icterus (bilirubin is less than 65 mg/dl), 
hemolysis (Hb is less than 500 mg/dl), lipemia  (Intralipid is less 
than 3300 mg/dl) and biotin is less than 50 ng/ml. (criterion: recovery 
within plus or minus 10% of initial value).

In patients receiving therapy with high biotin doses (i.e. is greater 
than 5 mg/day) no sample should be taken until at least 8 hours after 
the last biotin administration.

No interference was observed from rheumatoid factors up to a 
concentration of 2500 U/ml.

No high dose hook effect at ferritin concentrations of up to 100 000 
ng/ml.

In vitro tests were performed on 19 commonly used pharmaceuticals. No 
interference with the assay was found.

Iron2+- and iron3+-ions at therapuetic concentrations do not interfere 
in the Ferritin assay.

As with all tests containing monoclonal antibodies, erroneous findings 
may be obtained from samples taken from patients who have been treated 
with monoclonal mouse antibodies or who have received them for 
diagnostic purposes. Ferritin contains additives which minimize these 
effects.

In rare cases interference due to extremely high titers of antibodies 
to streptavidin and ruthenium can occur.

For diagnostic purposes, the Ferritin findings should always be 
assessed in conjunction with the patient's medical history, clinical 
examination and other findings.

Methodology:

Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay

CPT Code:

82728