Rapid assay for measurement of serum ferritin

The authors present a rapid modification of the tube immunoradiometric assay for serum ferritin quantitation. The method involves gentle rotatory mixing of the tube contents at ambient temperature and can be performed in a few hours. Variables affecting different stages of the assay were systematically investigated. The performance characteristics of the shortened assay in terms of reproducibility, sensitivity and recovery were then validated. Results with this method correlate well with those obtained by the conventional assay.