Harmonization of laboratory ferritin analysis

Ferritin is the main indicator of iron concentration in the human organism. Due to variable measuring methods, diverging results are obtained from the same blood sample – an exceptionally poor prerequisite for diagnosis, therapy, prevention and the quality of treatments and the assessment of the quality of therapy.

For this reason, in 2011 the Swiss Iron Health Organization SIHO set an unprecedented gold standard for laboratory analysis in iron metabolism and offers conversion tables based on research data.

Ferritin
To be used in the H-banking online tool, the ferritin levels need to be analyzed following the Beckman-Coulter method. Results according to the Roche method have to be converted to the Beckman-Coulter method:

– Ferritin-Beckman x 1.5 = Ferritin-Roche
– Ferritin-Roche / 3×2 = ferritin-Beckman

Transferrin
The results obtained following the international standard BCR 470 must be stated in g/l (standard range 2.0 – 3.8).

Soluble Transferrin Receptors LTR
For H-banking, the LTRs must be analyzed following the Roche method (standard range 2.0 – 4.5). Measurements following the Abbott method (standard range 0.8 – 1.8) must be converted to the Roche LTR level:

– LTR-Roche / 2.5 = LTR-Abbott
– LTR-Abbott x 2.5 = LTR-Roche