J Korean Acad Fam Med.  2008 Dec;29(12):908-914.

The Relationship between Serum Ferritin and High Sensitivity C-reactive Protein among Adults in a Health Promotion Center

• Oh ES
• Shin HS
• Lee JW
• Lim JA
• Lee DC
• Lee HR

Abstract

BACKGROUND
More attention is given to oxidative hypothesis which causes atherosclerosis to be recognized as inflammatory response. The relationship between serum ferritin which catalyzes lipid peroxidation and high sensitivity C-reactive protein which reflects vascular inflammation was investigated among adults in a health promotion center.
METHODS
The study group consisted of 297 men and women (men 86, women 211) who visited the health promotion center of a hospital in Seoul to have a health checkup from October 1, 2004 to April 1, 2005. These subjects answered the questionnares and were measured in the following; blood tests, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and several anthropometric measurements. Statistical analysis was performed on 111 subjects after exclusion of those subjects who were taking antihypertensive agents or antidiabetic agents, and who had acute inflammatory diseases, acute liver diseases, anemia, and who had a WBC > or =11,000x10(3)/mm3 or a serum ferritin > or =200 ug/L or a ABI (Ankle Brachial Index) <0.9.
RESULTS
The average serum ferritin concentration of men against women was 132.57+/-43.12 ng/ml to 78.23+/-38.10 ng/ml which means that men have about 1.7 times as high concentration than women (P<0.001). Serum ferritin was significantly correlated with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (r=0.332). Even in multiple stepwise regression analysis, there was a independent relationship between serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (beta=0.138, P=0.010). When we analyzed with distinction of sex, this relationship in women was constant (beta=0.131, P=0.031), but serum ferritin in men just showed the trend of correlation with BMI (beta=9.510, P=0.059).
CONCLUSION
There is a significant relationship between the increase of serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein in healthy women; furthermore, studies in men need to be confirmed.

Keyword

serum ferritin; high sensitivity C-reactive protein; atherosclerosis; oxidative stress; inflammation

MeSH Terms

Acute Disease
Adult
Anemia
Antihypertensive Agents
Atherosclerosis
C-Reactive Protein
Female
Ferritins
Health Promotion
Hematologic Tests
Humans
Hypoglycemic Agents
Inflammation
Lipid Peroxidation
Liver Diseases
Male
Oxidative Stress
Pulse Wave Analysis
Antihypertensive Agents
C-Reactive Protein
Ferritins
Hypoglycemic Agents