Iron Profile

Includes lab tests which help detect level of iron in the body, also known as Iron Deficiency Panel, Iron Lab Panel or Iron Deficiency Profile lab tests.

Get tested for iron profile lab tests at Symbion VIP Diagnostics, Ahmedabad

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 or iron status.

Iron status may be evaluated by ordering one or more tests to determine the amount of circulating iron in the blood, the capacity of the blood to transport iron, and the amount of stored iron in tissues. Testing may also help differentiate various causes of anemia and may include:

Serum iron measures the level of iron in the blood.

• TIBC (total iron-binding capacity) measures all of the proteins in the blood that are available to bind with iron, including transferrin. Since transferrin is the primary iron-binding protein, the TIBC test is a good indirect measurement of transferrin. The body produces transferrin in relationship to the need for iron. When iron stores are low, transferrin levels increase and vice versa. In healthy people, about one-third of the binding sites on transferrin are used to transport iron.
• UIBC (unsaturated iron-binding capacity) measures the reserve capacity of transferrin, the portion of transferrin that has not yet been saturated. UIBC also reflects transferrin levels.
• Transferrin saturation is a calculation that is done with the iron test result and TIBC or UIBC. It represents the percentage of the transferrin that is saturated with iron.
• Serum ferritin reflects the amount of stored iron in the body; ferritin is the main storage protein for iron inside of cells.

When is it ordered?
One or more iron tests may be ordered when results from a routine CBC test are abnormal, such as a low hematocrit or hemoglobin, or when a doctor suspects that a person has iron deficiency due to the presence of signs and symptoms such as:

• chronic fatigue/tiredness
• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Headaches
• Pale skin (pallor)

Ferritin, transferrin saturation, and a TIBC or UIBC may be ordered when a doctor suspects that a person may have a chronic iron overload (Hemochromatosis). HFE genetic testing may be ordered to help confirm a diagnosis of hereditary hemochromatosis and sometimes when a person has a family history of hemochromatosis.

An iron test and sometimes TIBC and ferritin tests may be ordered when a person has symptoms that the doctor suspects are due to iron overload or poisoning. These may include:

• Joint pain
• Fatigue, weakness
• Lack of energy
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of sex drive
• Heart problems

When a child is suspected to have excessively ingested iron tablets, a serum iron test is ordered to detect and help assess the severity of the poisoning.

The laboratory test results are NOT to be interpreted as results of a "stand-alone" test. The test results have to be interpreted after correlating with suitable clinical findings and additional supplemental tests/information. Your healthcare providers will explain the meaning of your tests results, based on the overall clinical scenario. For further information about these lab tests contact Symbion VIP Diagnostics pathology lab Ahmedabad at 09429410291