Blood iron metabolism in patients with stomach cancer

AIM: To investigate the changes of iron metabolism values in patients with stomach cancer degree II and III within 7 days after surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Levels of ferritin, transferrin, serum iron and unsaturated iron binding capacity were defined in 24 patients with stomach cancer preoperatively and in 1, 3 and 7 days after surgery using biochemical analyzer Cobas Integra 400. Comparison group included donors without cancer. RESULTS: Studied parameters were normal before surgery excluding serum iron and hemoglobin. Level of ferritin significantly increased by 160% and transferrin decreased by 78% in comparison with those in donors in 7 days postoperatively (p<0.05; Mann-Whitney criterion). Total iron binding capacity considerably reduced by 300%. There are significant changes of serum iron values from the 1st to the 7th days postoperatively. It is suggested the supposition about detoxication role of increased level of ferritin as one of the mechanisms explaining efficiency of intraoperative autoplasmachemotherapy.