How to determine transferrin in blood?
Transferrin is also a protein that plays an important role in iron metabolism. In the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia, transferrin is usually determined together with hemoglobin, erythrocytes, serum iron and ferritin. Transferrin level can be determined from blood as well as from other values.
The standard value of transferrin is 200 to 400 mg/dl. In addition, the transferrin saturation can also be determined. This indicates the proportion of transferrin that is occupied by iron particles at a certain point in time.
The iron transferrin saturation is usually around 25%. The evaluation of the ferritin value in the blood is carried out depending on the age- and gender-specific standard values. In addition, the other iron metabolism values should also be included in the evaluation.
In most cases, a lowered ferritin level is accompanied by a reduced erythrocyte concentration, a lowered hemoglobin value and reduced serum iron. Transferrin, on the other hand, is usually elevated in such cases, as the body tries to absorb as much iron as possible from the intestine with the help of transferrin. In contrast, increased ferritin levels are often accompanied by increased hemoglobin, iron and erythrocytes. The transferrin level, on the other hand, is reduced.
Ferritin too low – causes?
There are many reasons why the ferritin may be too low. The origin usually lies in a pronounced iron deficiency, which can be caused by a too low iron intake. Alternatively, an increased iron requirement or blood loss and thus also the loss of iron are the reasons for a ferritin deficiency.Since iron is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, it is important to have a sufficient amount of iron in the diet.
Iron is mainly found in red meat, but legumes also contain a lot of iron. In addition, the absorption of iron from food can be disturbed if the intestine is not supplied with sufficient vitamins (especially vitamin C). In endurance athletes, children and pregnant women, iron deficiency can also be due to increased requirements.
Endurance athletes are affected during particularly intensive training phases, children and adolescents can suffer from iron deficiency if they are in a pronounced growth phase. In pregnant women, the iron requirement increases up to three times the normal requirement. During pregnancy, the requirement is still twice as high as in normal cases.
Iron loss is usually caused by blood loss. This can be chronic bleeding, for example in the gastrointestinal tract. Women in particular are often affected by a ferritin deficiency because they lose blood every month during menstruation. Large blood losses, such as those caused by an accident or long operations, can also be the cause of a ferritin deficiency. In newborns who have to stay in hospital for a long time, the iron deficiency can also be caused iatrogenically (by doctors) because blood often has to be drawn from the babies.
