Methods for determining the amount of encapsulated and free iron in a sample

Abstract

This invention provides methods for quantitatively determining the concentration of free iron and ferritin-bound iron in a sample. The method includes diluting a ferritin- containing sample with a diluent to create a slurry, processing the slurry through a crossflow filtration system equipped with a membrane of at least 500 kilodaltons molecular weight cutoff, collecting the permeate containing free iron and the retentate containing ferritin-bound iron analyzing the iron concentrations in the permeate and retentate using a suitable analytical technique and calculating the mass balance of the total iron content. The invention also provides an antibody for use in quantitating the amount of ferritin in a sample and methods of treating iron deficiency in a patient in need thereof.

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