Can serum ferritinbe a marker for lithogenic bile & gallstones ? a prospective study

The study is focused to establish correlation between Serum Ferritin, Serum Cholesterol and Biliary Cholesterol. The study was performed on a group of 118 patients who were admitted in department of surgery for cholecystectomy (laparoscopic / open) in multi-speciality hospital at Lucknow. Based on the serum iron content, the patients with cholelithiasis were divided into two groups. Group A patients were with normal serum iron and Group B iron deficient patients. Serum and Biliary cholesterol contents of both groups will be analysed and comparison were done with each other. The mean bile cholesterol level in Group I and in Group II will be measured. The difference in values in both the groups were analysed statistically for p value. The result was analysed and formulated. There was no significant variation (P =0.367) in the serum cholesterol of the two groups in previous studies. Similar results of p value in the serum cholesterol of the two groups in present study were obtained i.e. (p=0.394), whereas gall bladder bile cholesterol was significantly increased (P < 0.0001) in the serum iron deficient (Group II) than in the normal serum iron (Group I), thus suggesting that iron deficiency may be contributing to the super saturation of gall bladder bile with respect to cholesterol independent of serum cholesterol levels