All issues > Volume 48(11); 2005

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2005;48(11):1239-1243. Published online November 15, 2005.

Serum Ferritin as a Risk Factor in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Jung Hyun JH Kim¹, Ho Seong HS Kim¹, Duk Hee DH Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Duk Hee DH Kim ,Email: dhkim3@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: Iron accumulation interferes with hepatic insulin extraction and affects insulin synthesis and secretion. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between serum ferritin and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods
: We compared the serum ferritin level among 18 patients in an impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) group, 36 in a type 1 diabetes group, eight in a type 2 diabetes group and 29 in a healthy control group. The correlation between serum ferritin levels and sex, body mass indices(BMI), blood pressure(BP), serum fasting sugar level and serum fasting insulin level were also analyzed.
Results
: The mean log ferritin were 1.33?.32(healthy control group), 1.63?.19(IGT group) and 1.90?.30(type 2 diabetes group). In the IGT group, log ferritin was higher than in the healthy control group(P=0.001). The log ferritin of the type 2 diabetes group was higher than that of the healthy control group(P=0.001). Comparing log ferritin to other factors, log ferritin had a significant positive correlation with body mass indices(P<0.001), systolic blood pressure(P=0.001), and fasting glucose(P= 0.001), fasting insulin(P=0.002).
Conclusion
: Compared to the normal healthy group, serum ferritin concentrations were significantly higher in the IGT group and the type 2 diabetes group. The elevation of serum ferritin concentration may be a risk factor of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Keywords :Serum ferritin , Type 2 diabetes mellitus , Insulin resistance syndrome