Transferrin

Overview:

Transferrin is made by the liver and carries iron from the gut and from stores to where it is needed, particularly the bone marrow. Production increases when iron is short, so transferrin typically rises in iron deficiency, and falls in iron overload. It also behaves as a negative acute phase protein, meaning it drops with inflammation and infection, and it falls with liver disease and poor nutrition, which can obscure the iron picture. Transferrin is closely related to total iron binding capacity, which measures much the same thing, and the two are often used interchangeably.

Categories:

Blood, Vitamins & Nutrients

Biomarkers:

1 biomarker