[Radioimmunological determination of the level of serum ferritin in liver diseases].

Altogether 113 patients with different hepatic diseases and 35 persons of the control group were examined. A significant difference in the level of serum ferritin was found in patients with cancer of extrahepatic site without hepatic metastases and in patients with metastatic involvement of the liver. In the patients with diagnosed cancer of extrahepatic site, the level of serum ferritin higher than 300 micrograms/l for men and 200 micrograms/l for women was the sign of metastatic involvement of the liver. Significant difference in the level of serum ferritin in patients with malignant and benign focal hepatic lesions can serve as an additional criterion for differential diagnosis of these diseases.