A dose-response association between serum ferritin and metabolic syndrome?

We read with great interest the article by Suárez-Ortegón et al. published recently in Atherosclerosis [1]. In the body, ferritin, a spherical heteropolymer comprised of 24 heavy- and light-chain subunits, is the principal protein for storing iron, which plays a role in the generation of reactive oxygen species and can cause cytotoxicity [2]. Thus, ferritin plays an important role in a wide range of both physiological and pathological processes. A growing number of research groups, including our own group, also support the notion that ferritin may serve as a suitable biomarker for predicting and even diagnosing many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and various forms of cancer [3,4].