Iron, Total and Total Iron Binding Capacity

Formal Name of the Test:
Iron, Total, and Total Iron Binding Capacity

Other Names Used:
Total Iron-binding Capacity, Transferrin Saturation, UIBC, Unsaturated iron-binding Capacity, Fe and TIBC,  Iron Indices,  Iron Profile, TIBC, TIBC, and Iron,

Sample Required:
Serum

Test Overview:
Serum iron measurement is helpful in validating the diagnosis of iron-deficient anemia or hemochromatosis. The capacity of the physician to discriminate between low serum iron levels produced by iron deficiency and those induced by inflammatory neoplastic illnesses may be aided by measuring total iron-binding in the same specimen. The iron assay determines the quantity of iron linked to transferrin. The total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) is a measurement of how much iron would be present in blood if all transferrin was saturated with iron. It is an indirect measurement that is based on an indirect assessment of transferrin concentrations. The actual amount of saturated transferrin is obtained by dividing the serum iron by the TIBC, which yields the percent saturation. In iron insufficiency, the % saturation is low, while in iron storage illnesses, it is high.

Test Preparation:
Fasting for 12 hours is required. Samples should be taken in the morning from patients in a fasting state since iron values decrease by 30% during the course of the day and there can be significant interference from lipemia.

Test Performed at:
Quest Diagnostics, Test Code 7573

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