Longitudinal study of serum ferritin concentrations in chronic granulocytic leukaemia

In 60 patients with Ph1-positive chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL) the serum ferritin concentration was measured as a part of the initial evaluation of the disease. The mean value (+SD) was 285 +/- 368.6 ng/ml, normal or slightly increased values being obtained in most cases. In 38 patients serum ferritin was again determined in clinical remission following busulphan treatment. Although the levels generally remained within the normal range, a significant decrease was observed with respect to the initial values (p = 0.0000004), suggesting that serum ferritin at presentation of CGL may be partially influenced by the disease activity. Finally, a further determination of serum ferritin concentration was made in a subgroup of 21 patients when they were diagnosed as being in the accelerated or blastic phases of CGL. Although no substantial increase was found with respect to the values obtained at presentation, a significant increase (p = 0.0008) was observed when accelerated-blastic phase ferritin levels were compared with those obtained in clinical remission. Although in patients in blast crisis no correlation was found between blast cell mass and serum ferritin, the differences observed between the different phases could indicate that in CGL serum ferritin concentrations roughly parallel the disease activity.