Iron, Transferrin, Ferritin
These markers are for the evaluation of iron levels in the body. Your body relies on iron in red blood cells to carry oxygen to all its cells. Without enough iron, your red blood cells will be unable to supply enough oxygen. Both high and low iron levels may indicate a serious underlying problem.

Symptoms of low iron are unexplained fatigue, dizziness, chronic headaches, unexplained weakness, ringing in your ears, irritability, leg pains, shortness of breath and can be caused by low intake, coeliac disease, excessive menstrual bleeding, stomach conditions that affect intestinal absorption and internal bleeding. Iron deficiency impairs thyroid hormone synthesis by reducing activity of heme-dependent thyroid peroxidase. Iron-deficiency anaemia blunts and iron supplementation improves the efficacy of iodine.

Symptoms of high iron are stomach pain, heart palpitations or chest pains, unexplained weakness, joint pain, unexplained fatigue caused by rheumatoid arthritis, liver disease, hyperthyroidism, type 2 diabetes, leukaemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, iron poisoning and frequent blood transfusions.

  Iron Deficiency Anaemia Anaemia of Chronic Disease Iron Def & Inflammation Acute Phase Response Iron Overload
Serum Iron Decreased Decreased Decreased Decreased Increased
Transferrin  Decreased Decreased Decreased/Normal Decreased Decreased/Normal
Serum Ferritin Decreased Normal>100 Normal Increased Increased

Transferrin is the iron transport protein in serum. In cases of iron deficiency, the degree of transferrin saturation appears to be an extremely sensitive indicator of functional iron depletion. Transferrin levels are reduced in inflammation.

Serum (Blood Draw)

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