Specimen Collection Manual and Test Catalog

1 mL of serum or plasma; minimum 0.2 mL

Allow serum to clot. Centrifuge to separate serum or plasma within 2 hours of collection.

Refrigerated (preferred) or room temperature.

Room temperature: 4 days. Refrigerated: 7 days.

Hemolyzed specimens are not acceptable.

Iron, Iron Binding Capacity

IRON SCREEN, TRANSFERRIN SATURATION, FESCRN

Serum iron quantification is useful in confirming the diagnosis of iron-deficiency anemia or hemochromatosis. The measurement of total iron binding in the same specimen may facilitate the clinician's ability to distinguish between low serum iron levels caused by iron deficiency from those related to inflammatory neoplastic disorders. The assay for iron measures the amount of iron which is bound to transferrin. The total iron binding capacity (TIBC) measures the amount of iron that would appear in blood if all the transferrin were saturated with iron. It is an indirect measurement of transferrin concentrations but expressed as an iron measurement. To obtain the percent saturation, the serum iron is divided by the TIBC which gives the actual amount of saturated tranferrin. The percentage saturation is low in iron deficiency anemia and high in iron storage diseases.