FRI0613 H-ferritin and pro-inflammatory cytokines are increased in the bone marrow of adult patients affected by macrophage activation syndrome

Background During macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), an inflammatory life-threatening syndrome, extremely high levels of serum ferritin may be observed [1]. Ferritin is an intracellular iron storage protein comprising 24 subunits that may be divided in heavy (H) subunits and light (L) subunits, based on their molecular weight [2]. The H-/L-subunits ratio may change, depending on the specific tissue and the physiologic status of the cell. In the normal condition, ferritin enriched in L subunits (L-ferritin) has been found in the liver and in the spleen, whereas the ferritin enriched in H subunits (H-ferritin), may be mainly observed in the heart and kidneys [2]. Objectives We investigated…