Objective:To study concentration change in serum ferritin(SF) in hepatic injury

and the possibility of using SF index to evaluate hepatic injury.Methods:The concentration of SF

and serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase(ALT)

total bilirubin (TB) in 71 cases of viral hepatitis B(HB)

78 cases of viral hepatitis A(HA) and 3 cases of drug-induced hepatitis(DIH) were detected by ELISA and chemistry measurement method.Results:The levels of SF and ALT in HA

HB and DIH increased significantly compared with the control group (P<0.01).In the HA patients at early stage of recovery

ALT level decreased to normal

while SF level also decreased but not to normal

and there was still significant increase compared with the control group(P<0.01).The SF concentration increased (P<0.05) in the HB patients with normal ALT and TB levels and it significantly increased (P<0.01) in those HB patients with abnormal ALT and TB levels

the change in SF concentration was positively correlated with ALT and/or TB.The SF concentration increased greatly in the DIH patients at acute stage.When ALT level decreased the SF concentration continued to rise in the grave hepatitis A or B.Conclusion:SF assay was a new laboratory marker in liver function evaluation

and could better reflect the actual pathological changes than ALT.