Iron and TIBC

Overview:

Iron does not travel freely in blood; it is carried bound to transferrin. Serum iron measures how much is currently being carried, while total iron binding capacity reflects how much transferrin is available to carry more. Transferrin saturation, calculated from the two, expresses what proportion of that capacity is in use, and it is often the most informative of the three. A low saturation suggests iron deficiency, while a high saturation can indicate iron overload. Serum iron varies considerably through the day and after meals, so timing affects the result and ferritin is usually assessed too.

Categories:

Blood, Vitamins & Nutrients

Biomarkers:

3 biomarkers