SERUM TRANSFERRIN

The “Iron Taxi” for Your Bloodstream

Transferrin is the primary protein responsible for binding and transporting iron throughout your body. Produced by the liver, Transferrin acts like a dedicated "taxi" for iron, picking it up from the gut and storage sites (like Ferritin) and delivering it to cells that need it, particularly bone marrow for red blood cell production.

The Transferrin test is rarely ordered alone. It is usually part of a full Iron Study that includes Serum Iron and Ferritin. By measuring Transferrin, doctors can calculate the Transferrin Saturation (TSAT), which reveals how many of these "iron taxis" are currently occupied. This is the most clinically actionable number.

The Transferrin test is essential for the comprehensive investigation of iron disorders, going beyond simply measuring iron storage:

• Diagnosing Iron Deficiency: High Transferrin coupled with low Iron and Ferritin is the classic sign of the body desperately trying to find iron.
• Investigating Iron Overload (Hemochromatosis): High Transferrin Saturation (TSAT) is the earliest and most specific marker for this genetic disorder.
• Differentiating Anemia Types: It helps distinguish true iron deficiency from the "Anemia of Chronic Disease," which has a different treatment strategy.
• Nutritional Assessment: Since Transferrin is a liver-made protein, low levels can indicate severe protein malnutrition or advanced liver disease.