TF and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: The gender-dependent association between log2-ferritin and in-hospital mortality as well as 90-day mortality, significant in males, may reflect gender-related differences in immune responses and inflammation in AP.[44,45] Elevated transferrin reduce in-hospital mortality risk in high BMI patients, highlighting its dual role as an acute-phase reactant and obesity-related oxidative mediator.[46,47] The observed ethnic differences in the protective effects of transferrin and TIBC should be interpreted cautiously, as they are likely confounded by baseline imbalances between the groups.