Serum ferritin in recurrent oral ulceration

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oral Medicine
• Immunology

Background:

• Recurrent oral ulceration (ROU) and Behçet's syndrome (BS) are common conditions.
• Iron deficiency is a potential contributing factor to oral ulceration.
• Serum ferritin is a sensitive indicator of iron stores.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate serum ferritin levels in patients with ROU, BS, and other oral lesions.
• To determine the prevalence of low serum ferritin in these patient groups.
• To assess the relationship between serum ferritin and oral ulceration.

Main Methods:

• A sensitive radio-assay was developed to measure serum ferritin.
• Serum ferritin levels were analyzed in 105 patients with ROU, 41 with BS, 42 with other ulcerative oral lesions, 35 with non-ulcerative oral lesions, and 78 controls.
• Ferritin levels were correlated with age, sex, and presence of oral lesions.

Main Results:

• Mean serum ferritin was significantly reduced in male patients with ROU and BS compared to controls.
• Female patients with major aphthous ulcers showed significantly reduced ferritin levels.
• Low serum ferritin prevalence was higher in ROU (8%), BS (15%), and other ulcerative lesions (9.5%) compared to controls (<3%).
• Serum ferritin levels did not directly correlate with serum iron but accurately indicated iron deficiency and differentiated true deficiency from secondary sideropenia.

Conclusions:

• Oral ulceration, including ROU and BS, may be associated with iron deficiency.
• Low serum ferritin levels are prevalent in patients with oral ulcerative conditions.
• Serum ferritin measurement is a valuable diagnostic tool for investigating oral ulceration and identifying iron deficiency.