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
Transferrin is a transport protein
As the name suggests, transferrin is a transport protein for iron (ferrum in Latin) but also for zinc. Transferrin levels in the blood are determined when a disorder of iron metabolism is suspected. Such a disorder is seen, for example, in the hereditary disease iron-stacking 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. On the contrary, low transferrin is often seen in diseases. This is because the liver then produces less transferrin, thus also lowering the amount of iron in the body.
Transferrin concentration is also affected by anemia and kidney disease. In patients taking antibiotics, transferrin is not always reliable: too low a value is found.
Inflammation can also affect 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 safe levels by regularly removing blood from your body (venesection).
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 in the blood. The amount of ferritin in blood is a measure of the amount of ferritin (and thus 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, the reserve supply in the form of ferritin will be used up first. Only when there is almost no ferritin left, the body does not make enough red blood cells and there is anemia.
If 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-stacking 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 be caused by excessive blood loss, insufficient iron in the diet or insufficient absorption of iron (from the diet) in the intestines. Symptoms consistent 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. Complaints consistent with iron accumulation disease are fatigue and pain in joints.
