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Serum Ferritin as a Measure of Stored Iron in Horses¹

Departments of Pathology ^* Department of Pathology Surgery and Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506

Occasionally, horses are given large amounts of iron to improve performance. Although iron deficiency could limit erythrocyte production and other functions related to nonhematological tissues, it probably only occurs in blood loss. We have developed an enzyme immunoassay for ferritin in equine sera and evaluated its relationship to iron stored in liver and spleen. Serum ferritin correlated significantly (P < 0.0001) with the concentration of nonheme iron in the liver and spleen. It increased following iron therapy and decreased after phlebotomy. We conclude that serum ferritin provides a good index of hepatic and splenic iron and can be used to evaluate iron storage in horses.

KEY WORDS: • iron • ferritin • horses

¹ This work was supported in part by funds from Section 1433C of Public Law PL-95-113 and The Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Contribution number 83-261-J, Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural Experiment Station, Manhattan, KS 66506.

Manuscript received 15 July 1983.