OBJECTIVE: To verify the possible association between the levels of serum ferritin and the degree of obstructive coronary artery disease. METHODS: 115 patients with coronary arteriography and concomitant evaluation of serum ferritin were studied. The adopted cut-off values were 80 ng/ml for women and 120 ng/ml for men. RESULTS: The mean ferritin levels for males and females were 133.9±133.8 ng/ml and 214.6±217.2 ng/ml, respectively (p=0.047). It was observed that 44.1% of the women had normal serum ferritin levels in comparison to 30.9% of the men (p=0.254). In the patients without obstructive coronary artery disease or with less severe obstructions (group A) the serum ferritin level was 222.3±325 ng/ml. On the other hand, for those with moderate (group B) and severe obstructions (group C) the levels were 145.6+-83.7 ng/ml and 188.9±150.6 ng/ml, respectively. There was no correlation between the degree of coronary artery disease and the mean level of serum ferritin. Regarding the cut-off value, the number of women with serum ferritin level > 80 ng/ml in groups B+C or only C was significantly higher than the number of women in group A (ODDS RATIO 9.71 with 95%CI from 1.63 to 57.72). For males there was no significant difference between the number of cases above or below the cut-off values (ODDS RATIO 0.92 with 95%CI from 0.28 to 2.95). CONCLUSION: It was verified that women with serum ferritin levels > 80 ng/mL presented more severe obstructive coronary artery disease than women with lower levels. In men, the serum ferritin level was not a predictor element of the degree of obstruction.
Ferritin; coronary artery disease; coronary arteriography