[Serum ferritin in patients with malignant melanoma]

In 55 patients with malignant melanoma, in addition to hematologic parameters and blood chemistry, serumferritin was measured by a two-site IRMA-technique using a heterologous antibody system (Behringwerke). Tumor localisation was exactly classified due to a staging system (stage I--III). Elevation of serumferritin values in stage III was highly significant (p less than 0.0005) compared to stage I and II, as well as to normal controls (n = 60). There was no significant correlation between serumferritin and sedimentation rate, erythrocytes or serum iron. Only in stage III we found a significant negative correlation (p less than 0.05) between serumferritin and hemoglobin. Compared to normal controls, patients with stage III showed a significant decrease in serum-iron (p less than 0.01). A significant increase was found concerning serum-copper levels in all patients with melanoma. Though radioimmunometric methods now are not sensitive enough for the determination of tumor-specific isoferritins, serumferritin might be useful in detecting patients with malignant melanoma (stage III).