Table 1 Associations between hyperferritinemia and autoimmune diseases

RA

4% [7]

✓ High concentrations of ferritin are found in synovial fluid and synovial cells of RA patients [5].

✓ Significant correlations described between serum ferritin levels and disease activity by DAS28 score in RA patients [5].

MS

8% [6, 7]

✓ Loss of ferritin binding is involved in, or is a consequence of, demyelination associated with MS [4].

✓ Ferritin levels are significantly elevated in the serum and the cerebrospinal fluid only in chronic progressive active patients [4].

✓ Hyperferritinemia is associated with male gender and a more progressive type of MS (that is, relapsing-progressive), whereas an inverse association was noted between the milder form of disease (relapsing-remitting) [6].

SLE

23% [7]

✓ Serum levels of ferritin during the more active stage of SLE exceeded those of RA patients and patients at less active stages of SLE [3].

✓ Hyperferritinemia is associated with serositis and hematological manifestation [4].

✓ ECLAM score is significantly higher in patients with hyperferritinemia [5].

✓ Hyperferritinemia is associated with thrombocytopenia, lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies in SLE patients with active disease [5].

APS

Primary APS 8%

✓ In patients with APS syndrome, hyperferritinemia is associated with the presence of venous thrombotic events, cardiac, neurological and hematological manifestations [8].

Secondary APS 9% [8]