Circulating transferrin receptor in human serum

Abstract

Circulating transferrin receptor has been detected in human serum with a sensitive immunoassay. The mean concentrations of the serum transferrin receptor in healthy males and females were 251 +/- 94 (mean +/- SD) ng/ml and 256 +/- 99 ng/ml, respectively. The serum receptor concentration in patients with haematological malignancies, including acute leukaemia, multiple myeloma and malignant lymphoma, varied widely, from normal to 1100 ng/ml. A single band with an approximate molecular weight between 80,000 and 100,000 daltons was obtained by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-immunoblotting analysis of serum.