What does high ferritin levels mean?
If ferritin is high, there is iron in excess or else there is an acute inflammatory reaction in which ferritin is mobilized without iron excess. For example, ferritins may be high in infection without signalling body iron overload.Ferritin is also used as a marker for iron overload disorders, such as hemochromatosis or hemosiderosis. Adult-onset Still's disease, porphyria, and Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis are diseases in which the ferritin level may be abnormally raised. As ferritin is also an acute-phase reactant, it is often elevated in the course of disease. A normal C-reactive protein can be used to exclude elevated ferritin caused by acute phase reactions.According to a study of anorexia nervosa patients, ferritin can be elevated during periods of acute malnourishment