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TerminatedNCT03777904Updated Apr 5, 2022

The Iron Content of Ferritin in Serum and Urine of Children With High Serum Ferritin Levels

An observational study in Iron Overload, sponsored by University of Utah. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 1 Year to 17 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-04-05.

Sponsored by University of Utah · Observational

Why this study was terminated
Analysis of first 11 subjects resulted in values that were too varied to make the study feasible.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
11
Ages
1 Year to 17 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

A serum ferritin level can reflect the total body iron content, thus a very low serum ferritin is commonly used as an indicator of iron deficiency and a very high serum ferritin is commonly used as a marker of iron overload. Ferritin is a shell of protein in which iron is stored. Ferritin is an acute phase reactant, and serum ferritin levels can increase during inflammatory conditions. Consequently, an elevated ferritin level might mean there is an excess of storage iron, or might simply mean that inflammation has resulted in high levels of the ferritin shell, containing little iron.

The research team is able to quantify the amount of iron in ferritin using inductively conducted plasma mass spectrometry, in the Heme and Iron Core Laboratory at the University of Utah. Thus, it can be determined whether in a child with a very high serum ferritin level, that ferritin is loaded with iron or is actually very low in iron. Neonates and young children with certain liver disorders characteristically have a very high serum ferritin level. These conditions are gestational alloimmune liver disease (GALD) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). It is not clear what the iron content of the ferritin is in these neonates. Knowing this will be a step toward understanding whether the pathogenesis of these conditions involves iron overload. Additionally, if urine ferritin and iron levels correlate with serum ferritin and iron levels, urine may be used as a non-invasive way to monitor iron status.

In this study, serum and urine samples will be collected from children with high serum ferritin levels and confirmed iron toxicity. Both ferritin and iron content within ferritin will be measured in the serum and urine samples and compared for correlation.

02

Conditions studied

  • Iron Overload

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03

In context

Iron Overload

156 studies on the registry are indexed under Iron Overload; 6 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 11 is below the median of 94 across 49 observational studies indexed under Iron Overload.

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Lead sponsor

University of Utah is the lead sponsor of 994 studies on the registry; 175 are open to participants now.

Of its 114 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 69 (61%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
1 Year to 17 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

Children with high ferritin levels and confirmed iron toxicity.

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Children with ferritin levels > 1000 ng/mL

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • None
05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
11 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Children with high serum ferritin

    Children with very high serum ferritin levels and confirmed iron toxicity will have a urine sample and blood sample drawn at the same time. Both samples will have ferritin levels and iron content measured and compared for correlation.

    Diagnostic Test: Serum Ferritin level · Diagnostic Test: Serum Ferritin iron content · Diagnostic Test: Urine Ferritin level · Diagnostic Test: Urine ferritin iron content

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testSerum Ferritin level

    Serum ferritin level will be collected with other clinical labs and measured in the research lab

  • Diagnostic testSerum Ferritin iron content

    Blood will be collected with other clinical labs and the iron content in the ferritin will be measured in the research lab

  • Diagnostic testUrine Ferritin level

    Urine will be collected non-invasively and analyzed for ferritin level

  • Diagnostic testUrine ferritin iron content

    Urine will be collected non-invasively and analyzed for iron content within the ferritin

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Correlation of serum and urine ferritin levels

    Serum levels of ferritin will be compared to urine ferritin levels to evaluate whether urine can be used to calculate ferritin levels in the body non-invasively

    Time frame: 1 year

  2. Correlation of iron content within serum and urine ferritin levels

    Serum iron content of ferritin will be compared to urine iron content of ferritin levels to evaluate whether urine can be used to calculate total body iron content non-invasively

    Time frame: 1 year

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Primary Children's Hospital
    Salt Lake City, Utah 84113, United States
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 5, 2022, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03777904
Lead sponsor
University of Utah
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Dec 17, 2018
Start date
Feb 21, 2019
Primary completion
Dec 10, 2019
Completion
Dec 10, 2019
Last update
Apr 5, 2022

Study contacts

Robert Christensen, MD
principal investigator · University of Utah

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is terminated, as verified in Mar 2022. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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