Iron tests

Iron tests are groups of clinical chemistry laboratory blood tests that are used to evaluate body iron stores or the iron level in blood serum.

Other terms used for the same tests are iron panel, iron profile, iron indices, iron status or iron studies.

• Serum iron
• Serum ferritin
• Serum transferrin
• Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC)
• Transferrin saturation
• Unsaturated iron-binding capacity (UIBC)
• Transferrin receptor (TfR)

• Complete blood count (CBC), especially:
  • Hemoglobin, EVF or total red blood cells (RBC count)
  • Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)
  • Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) or MCHC

IRON PANEL	Serum iron	Serum transferrin	TIBC	Transferrin saturation	Serum ferritin	Transferrin receptor
Iron deficiency anemia
Iron overload (hemochromatosis)						/
Anemia of chronic disease					/	/
Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT)
Thalassemia
Sideroblastic anemia						/
Megaloblastic anemia
Hemolytic anemia	/	/	/	/	/
Pregnancy or use of hormonal contraception					[data missing]	[data missing]