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Updated: May 18, 2026
Ferritinophagy: Assessing the Selective Degradation of Iron by Autophagy in Human Fibroblasts
Published on: February 23, 2024
Elevated serum ferritin is associated with reduced survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Yann Nadjar1, Paul Gordon, Philippe Corcia
1Fédération des Maladies du Système Nerveux, APHP, Centre de référence maladies rares SLA, Hôpital Pitié-salpêtrière, Paris, France. ynadjar@gmail.com
Background:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the loss of motor neurons. Its etiology remains unknown, but several hypothesis have been raised to explain motor neuron death, including oxidative stress. Dysregulation of cellular iron metabolism can lead to increased oxidative stress, and existing data argue for a role of iron metabolism in ALS pathophysiology.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective analysis of iron metabolism (IM) variables (serum levels of iron, transferrin, ferritin, and TSC for Transferrin Saturation Coefficient) in a cohort of 694 ALS patients and 297 healthy controls.
Results:
Serum ferritin levels and TSC were higher, whereas serum transferrin levels were lower in ALS patients than controls. In addition, patients with a high level serum ferritin had a shorter survival time compared to those with low level serum ferritin (618 days versus 921 days for men subgroup; p = .007). Site of onset and ALS-FRS score were not associated with IM variables.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that ALS patients may have increased iron storage, as measured by increased serum ferritin and TSC. Elevated serum ferritin may also have a deleterious impact on survival in ALS.
