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. 1988 May 15;61(10):2071-6.
doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19880515)61:10<2071::aid-cncr2820611023>3.0.co;2-6.

High serum ferritin level as a marker of malignant histiocytosis and virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome

N Esumi  1 , S Ikushima, S Hibi, S Todo, S Imashuku
Affiliations

High serum ferritin level as a marker of malignant histiocytosis and virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome

N Esumi et al. Cancer. .

Abstract

Serum ferritin level was measured serially in three malignant histiocytosis (MH) and five virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (VAHS) patients. Serum ferritin levels were greater than 1000 ng/ml at the early phase of disease. When disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) developed in patients, serum ferritin levels elevated further to greater than 12,000 ng/ml. MH patients were treated by combination chemotherapy, and VAHS patients were given prednisone. Each MH and VAHS patient died within 1 week from the onset of DIC, without decrease of serum ferritin level. One MH patient with continued high serum ferritin levels for 3 months after DIC also died. The remaining patients with decreased serum ferritin values less than 1000 ng/ml at 3 months after DIC are now alive with normal serum ferritin levels. These results suggest that serum ferritin level in histiocytic proliferative disorders is a useful indicator of disease activity in both neoplastic and reactive conditions rather than only a marker of malignant process.

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