IRON STATUS IN PROSPECTIVE BLOOD-DONORS

Parameters of iron metabolism were studied in 2,812 prospective blood donors. The mean serum ferritin values in females were significantly l ower as compared to males (31 vs. 86 mu g/l). 43% of the females and 6 % of the males showed decreased values of serum ferritin indicating th e presence of partly or completely depleted iron stores. Thus, iron de ficiency is still very frequent in Germany. The liver iron concentrati on was measured non-invasively using a novel biomagnetic method in 60 subjects with increased serum iron and/or serum ferritin. A substantia l iron overload due to homozygous hereditary haemochromatosis was obse rved in 7 out of 2,812 probands, thus confirming the known high preval ence of this disease of about 1:400 also in Northern Germany.