Iron, Transferrin Saturation and Ferritin
Transferrin saturation and Ferritin are proteins in the blood. These tests are done when there is a suspicion of a disturbance in the iron metabolism. In this test the same is measured as in the examination "iron accumulation".
- Transferrin saturation (calculated from iron and transferrin)
- Iron and
- Transferrin
- Ferritin
Low blood iron levels can cause ovulation problems.
From the measurement of transferrin and iron, transferrin saturation is measured.
Transferrin is a transport protein
As the name suggests, transferrin is a transport protein for iron (ferrum in Latin) but also for zinc. The transferrin level in the blood is determined when a disorder of iron metabolism is suspected. Such a disorder is seen, for example, in the hereditary disease iron accumulation disease (hemochromatosis). Transferrin is produced in the liver and can be taken as a measure of the total amount of iron in the body. When there is an iron deficiency in the body, the transferrin concentration rises. In diseases, however, one often sees low transferrin. This is because the liver produces less transferrin and the amount of iron in the body falls.
The transferrin concentration is also influenced by anemia and kidney disease. In patients who use antibiotics, the transferrin determination is not always reliable: the value found is too low.
Inflammations can also influence this value, so always measure CRP as well.
Hereditary hemochromatosis causes your body to absorb too much iron from the food you eat. The excess iron is stored in your organs, especially the liver, heart and pancreas. The excess iron can poison these organs, leading to life-threatening conditions such as cancer, cardiac arrhythmias and cirrhosis.
Many people inherit the defective genes that cause hemochromatosis - it is the most common inherited disease in whites. But only a minority of people with the genes develop serious problems. Hemochromatosis is more common in men.
Signs and symptoms of hereditary hemochromatosis usually appear in middle age. Iron can be lowered to a safe level by regularly removing blood from your body.(veinletting)
Transferrin may exceed 3.6 g/l in cases of iron accumulation, liver damage or pregnancy.
Ferritin is used to store iron
Ferritin is a protein present mainly in the liver and bone marrow and is used to store iron. However, a small amount of ferritin is also found in the blood. The amount of ferritin in blood is a measure of the amount of ferritin (and therefore the amount of iron) in the liver and bone marrow.
Iron is needed for the production of red blood cells (hemoglobin) in the bone marrow. If the body has too little iron, it will first use up the reserve supply in the form of ferritin. Only when there is almost no ferritin left, the body makes too few red blood cells and anemia occurs.
When there is too much iron in the body, the amount of ferritin in the tissues and blood is too high and a condition called iron deficiency disease (hemochromatosis) develops.
If the amount of hemoglobin is not sufficient (anemia), iron deficiency is one of the possible causes. The determination of ferritin is a good test to determine iron deficiency. Iron deficiency can occur due to excessive blood loss, insufficient iron in the diet or insufficient absorption of iron (from the diet) in the intestines. Symptoms associated with anemia include fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
Ferritin is also a good test to determine iron accumulation (hemochromatosis) in the body due to excess iron. Hemochromatosis is an inherited disease in which the body absorbs too much iron in the intestines. Symptoms that fit with iron accumulation disease are fatigue and pain in joints.
