Men: 215 - 360 mg/dL
Women: 245 - 370 mg/dL
Children from 0 to 6 months old: 173 - 413 mg/dl
Children from 6 to 12 months old: 209 - 339 mg/dl
Children from 12 to 18 month old: 253 - 385 mg/dl
Children from 18 months to 2 years old: 261 - 351 mg/dl
Children from 2 to 18 years old: 215-325 mg/dl
In the International System of Units (SI), transferrin in the blood is measured in g/L. The normal transferrin level in the blood in the SI is:
Men: 2.15 - 3.60 g/L
Women: 2.45 - 3.70 g/L
Children from 0 to 6 months old: 1.73 - 4.13 g/L
Children from 6 to 12 months old: 2.09 - 3.39 g/L
Children from 12 to 18 month old: 2.53 - 3.85 g/L
Children from 18 months to 2 years old: 2.61 - 3.51 g/L
Children from 2 to 18 years old: 2.15 - 3.25 g/L
Each laboratory must establish its own normal ranges for iron in the blood. These ranges depend on the makeup of the local population, the technologies used and the accuracy of the measurement. There may be also slight differences in the normal levels according to age, gender, race or ethnic origin, geographic region, diet, type of sample and other relevant status.
Your doctor will study the results along with your medical record, screenings, physical condition, symptoms and any other relevant information about your situation.
Transferrin is a type of globulin protein, which main role is the transport of iron in the blood. Transferrin is usually called iron-binding protein. Iron in the body is essential to the formation of hemoglobin, necessary to carry oxygen to the cells.
Each transferrin molecule can bind to two atoms of ferric iron (Fe3+). It means that ferritin can transport iron through the blood. In normal conditions, only one-third of the iron binding capacity of transferrin is saturated with iron.
In addition, transferrin can carry other metals through the blood such as copper, manganese, gallium, indium, titanium, etc.
Human transferrin is produced in the liver and it has a half-life of 8 days in the blood.
In many cases, to determine the transferrin level in the blood an indirect method is used. In the laboratories it is measured the TIBC (Total Iron Binding Capacity) instead.
This assay measures the amount of iron bound to transferrin in a blood test. This method is cheaper and easy to perform. When the TIBC is known, the transferrin level can be estimated with the following formulas:
The transferrin blood test is usually made in relation to a suspected anemia. It must be studied along with iron in the blood, ferritin and the transferrin saturation (a relation between iron and transferrin). The concentration of transferrin in the serum is regulated by the iron availability.
A high value of transferrin in the blood may be a sign of iron-deficiency anemia. However, it is better to consider the ferritin blood test for this matter because transferrin level may be elevated a consequence of pregnancy or for taking oral contraceptives. If transferrin is high and ferritin is low (<15 ng/ml) iron-deficiency anemia should be suspected.
A low value of transferrin is a sign of an anemia of chronic disease. It a secondary consequence of renal disorders (kidney disease, kidney failure), liver problems, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, celiac disease) and some types of cancer. It is frequent that transferrin level is low in all kinds of inflammations.
Therefore, transferrin level in the blood is an adequate parameter to know whether an anemia is caused by iron deficiency or it is secondary to a chronic disease.
Transferrin level in the blood is also useful to know the nutritional status of people with no kidney problem.
In case of suffering hemochromatosis the iron in the blood will be high and the transferrin level in the blood will be low.
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The following values are considered to be normal values:
IMPORTANT: These levels are expressed in mg/dL. They are an example of a healthy woman of about 45 years old with a balanced diet, not known disease and not taking any medication. The ranges can be different depending on the laboratory or on your personal circumstances.
Transferrin | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normality | |||||||
| 245 mg/dL | 246 mg/dL | 247 mg/dL | 248 mg/dL | 249 mg/dL | 250 mg/dL | 251 mg/dL | 252 mg/dL |
| 253 mg/dL | 254 mg/dL | 255 mg/dL | 256 mg/dL | 257 mg/dL | 258 mg/dL | 259 mg/dL | 260 mg/dL |
| 261 mg/dL | 262 mg/dL | 263 mg/dL | 264 mg/dL | 265 mg/dL | 266 mg/dL | 267 mg/dL | 268 mg/dL |
| 269 mg/dL | 270 mg/dL | 271 mg/dL | 272 mg/dL | 273 mg/dL | 274 mg/dL | 275 mg/dL | 276 mg/dL |
| 277 mg/dL | 278 mg/dL | 279 mg/dL | 280 mg/dL | 281 mg/dL | 282 mg/dL | 283 mg/dL | 284 mg/dL |
| 285 mg/dL | 286 mg/dL | 287 mg/dL | 288 mg/dL | 289 mg/dL | 290 mg/dL | 291 mg/dL | 292 mg/dL |
| 293 mg/dL | 294 mg/dL | 295 mg/dL | 296 mg/dL | 297 mg/dL | 298 mg/dL | 299 mg/dL | 300 mg/dL |
| 301 mg/dL | 302 mg/dL | 303 mg/dL | 304 mg/dL | 305 mg/dL | 306 mg/dL | 307 mg/dL | 308 mg/dL |
| 309 mg/dL | 310 mg/dL | 311 mg/dL | 312 mg/dL | 313 mg/dL | 314 mg/dL | 315 mg/dL | 316 mg/dL |
| 317 mg/dL | 318 mg/dL | 319 mg/dL | 320 mg/dL | 321 mg/dL | 322 mg/dL | 323 mg/dL | 324 mg/dL |
| 325 mg/dL | 326 mg/dL | 327 mg/dL | 328 mg/dL | 329 mg/dL | 330 mg/dL | 331 mg/dL | 332 mg/dL |
| 333 mg/dL | 334 mg/dL | 335 mg/dL | 336 mg/dL | 337 mg/dL | 338 mg/dL | 339 mg/dL | 340 mg/dL |
| 341 mg/dL | 342 mg/dL | 343 mg/dL | 344 mg/dL | 345 mg/dL | 346 mg/dL | 347 mg/dL | 348 mg/dL |
| 349 mg/dL | 350 mg/dL | 351 mg/dL | 352 mg/dL | 353 mg/dL | 354 mg/dL | 355 mg/dL | 356 mg/dL |
| 357 mg/dL | 358 mg/dL | 359 mg/dL | 360 mg/dL | 361 mg/dL | 362 mg/dL | 363 mg/dL | 364 mg/dL |
| 365 mg/dL | 366 mg/dL | 367 mg/dL | 368 mg/dL | 369 mg/dL | 370 mg/dL | ||