Iron Studies, Basic
Understanding Iron Studies, Basic
What is Iron Studies, Basic?
Iron Studies, Basic is a group of tests that check the iron level in your body. Iron is an essential mineral responsible for formation of Red Blood Cells (RBC), healthy muscles, bone marrow, and organ function.
This test is ordered as a follow up test when abnormal results are found on routine tests such as CBC; when your doctor is suspecting either deficiency of iron or excess of iron. The symptoms of iron deficiency are pale skin, fatigue, headaches, weakness , while the signs of iron overload include weakness, joints and abdominal pain.
These tests are useful to monitor the progress of iron deficiency/ iron excess treatment.
What is Iron Studies, Basic used for?
- If you have signs or symptoms of iron deficiency anemia like pallor, fatigue, weakness, headaches
- If your CBC shows that your hemoglobin and hematocrit are low and RBC’s are smaller and paler than normal which usually suggest iron deficiency anemia
- If you have signs or symptoms of increased accumulation of iron in the body like joint pain, abdominal pain, fatigue, loss of body hair
What does Iron Studies, Basic measure?
Contains 4 testsIron Serum
Total Iron Binding Capacity
Iron is an essential micronutrient that is required by the body in trace amounts. Iron plays an essential role in a number of body activities. The most important role of iron is that it regulates the formation and functioning of red blood cells or RBCs. Iron is an integral part of a protein called hemoglobin present in the RBCs. RBCs transport oxygen from the lungs to other body tissues.
Iron is not produced by the body and its only source is diet. Only a minute quantity of iron is required by the body. Most of the iron obtained from the food is found in hemoglobin present inside the RBCs. Excess iron absorbed from food is stored as ferritin, and a small amount is present in myoglobin and enzymes. Ferritin is stored in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and skeletal muscles. When the iron level in the blood drops, it is recovered from these stored iron reserves.
The protein transferrin is produced by the liver and transports iron to different parts of the body for utilization or storage. Low levels of transferrin can impair the transport of iron for utilization or storage and may give rise to symptoms of iron deficiency or overdose. Transferrin is a negative acute phase reactant which means that its level decreases in case of inflammation in the body. It is the primary iron-transporting protein in the body and most of the free iron remains bound to it.
The following tests are performed apart from the Total Iron Binding Capacity Test to measure the iron levels of the body and results are interpreted accordingly:
· Serum Iron Test measures the levels of iron present in the blood.
· Transferrin Test measures the levels of transferrin present in blood both bound and unbound with iron.
· Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity (UIBC) Test measures the transferrin reserve of the body, or the amount of transferrin not saturated with iron.
· Transferrin Saturation Test is performed to determine the amount of transferrin that is saturated with iron. In normal conditions, approximately one-third of transferrin is bound to and saturated with iron.
· Ferritin Test measures the amount of the protein ferritin in blood. Ferritin is the primary iron storage protein of the body.
Know more about Total Iron Binding Capacity
Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity
Transferrin Saturation
Interpreting Iron Studies, Basic results
Interpretations
- A low iron with a high TIBC and transferrin usually indicates iron deficiency anemia. Various causes of iron deficiency are decreased intake, pregnancy, lactation, malabsorption syndromes
- High levels of serum iron can occur as a result of multiple blood transfusions, lead poisoning, liver diseases, sideroblastic anemia, hemachromatosis
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