The 5 main causes of low transferrin 1- Malnutrition . The test, in conjunction with the serum iron test, is used to determine the levels of transferrin, which is a great indicator of the iron status. Philadelphia: Hanley & Belfus; 2002. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. Pediatric hematology/oncology secrets. Edited by NW Tietz. In general, anemia means you have a low number of red blood cells. That’s why people with nephrotic syndrome may have significant transferrin loss [39, 40]. 1987. Causes shown here are commonly associated with low transferrin levels. Constant feeling of fatigue, weakness and loss of energy. The rate of synthesis in the liver can be altered in accordance with the body’s iron requirements and iron reserves. The three results are usually reported together. produces more transferrin in order to get more iron into your blood. High transferrin means the liver is producing more of the protein to use all the iron available in the body. This indicates that you have iron deficiency. Make sure your diet is healthy and well balanced. Iron deficiency can have many causes, including dietary deficiency, bleeding (e.g. Increase your intake of foods that are rich in iron to replenish your iron stores. All Rights Reserved. In healthy people, transferrin levels will normally be between 200 – 370 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter). The Total Iron-Binding Capacity (TIBC) is the most common iron test used to check on whether someone has an iron deficiency or overload. One type of anemia is iron-deficiency anemia. The most important thing is to work with your doctor to find out what’s causing your low transferrin and to treat any underlying conditions. A higher level means that you may have iron-deficiency anemia. In Textbook of Clinical Chemistry. Many other medical conditions can cause high or low levels of transferrin. The levels of human transferrin can help in determining the causes of medical conditions like anaemia or even the iron-carrying capacity of the blood. Transferrin saturation is also available for end stage renal failure patients on haemodialysis who may be candidates for erythropoietin therapy since this inde… *I agree to be contacted by Portea over phone and email. *I authorize Portea representative to contact me. Department of Biochemistry, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK. It is the value of serum iron divided by the total iron-binding capacity[1] of the available transferrin, the main protein that binds iron in the blood, this value tells a clinician how much serum iron is bound.