If you need to know which are the transferrin reference ranges or you require more information about the role of transferrin in the blood, you can visit normal transferrin level in the blood
Transferrin is the protein that carries iron through the blood. The transferrin is produced in the liver and a low value of transferrin in the blood may be a sign that the liver's production of transferrin is not appropriate.
A low value of transferrin in the blood can be consequence of multiple disorders such as infections, inflammations, some types of cancer or kidney or liver problems.
In many cases, it may suggest a secondary anemia caused by a chronic disease. In that case there will be other assays altered, for example, hemoglobin low in the blood.
If you are suffering from hemochromatosis, iron and ferritin in the blood will be high and transferrin low.
Transferrin level in the blood is a bit low. It may be a consequence of an infection or an inflammation.
It is advisable to study other blood tests related to iron such as serum iron or ferritin to know if it is a casual alteration or if there is a problem with the iron in the body.
If there is an alteration of ferritin and serum iron you should talk to your doctor. If only transferrin is altered, it may be due to some drugs and it is probable that in the next blood test the transferrin return to normal range.
Transferrin level in the blood is very low and the transport of iron trough the blood may be affected. It may be a sign of liver or kidney disorder.
Low values of transferrin in the blood may cause iron accumulation in some organs (heart, liver) and provoke a cardiovascular disease.
Severe hypotransferrinemia can alter the correct transport of iron through the body.
There is a rare genetic disease, called congenital atransferrinemia, which is characteristic of severe hypotransferrinemia. It can be treated by transferrin blood transfusions.
There are some circumstances than can reduce your transferrin level in the blood:
Lower than normal level of transferrin in the blood can be due to:
A low level of transferrin in the blood is usually a secondary consequence of a chronic disease. The best way to revert the transferrin alteration is to find the primary disease and treat it.
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The following values are considered to be below the normal range:
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 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mild hypotransferrinemia | |||||||
| 244 mg/dL | 243 mg/dL | 242 mg/dL | 241 mg/dL | 240 mg/dL | 239 mg/dL | 238 mg/dL | 237 mg/dL |
| 236 mg/dL | 235 mg/dL | 234 mg/dL | 233 mg/dL | 232 mg/dL | 231 mg/dL | 230 mg/dL | 229 mg/dL |
| 228 mg/dL | 227 mg/dL | 226 mg/dL | 225 mg/dL | 224 mg/dL | 223 mg/dL | 222 mg/dL | 221 mg/dL |
| 220 mg/dL | 219 mg/dL | 218 mg/dL | 217 mg/dL | 216 mg/dL | 215 mg/dL | 214 mg/dL | 213 mg/dL |
| 212 mg/dL | 211 mg/dL | 210 mg/dL | 209 mg/dL | 208 mg/dL | 207 mg/dL | 206 mg/dL | 205 mg/dL |
| 204 mg/dL | 203 mg/dL | 202 mg/dL | 201 mg/dL | 200 mg/dL | 199 mg/dL | 198 mg/dL | 197 mg/dL |
| 196 mg/dL | 195 mg/dL | 194 mg/dL | 193 mg/dL | 192 mg/dL | 191 mg/dL | 190 mg/dL | 189 mg/dL |
| 188 mg/dL | 187 mg/dL | 186 mg/dL | 185 mg/dL | 184 mg/dL | 183 mg/dL | 182 mg/dL | 181 mg/dL |
| 180 mg/dL | 179 mg/dL | 178 mg/dL | 177 mg/dL | 176 mg/dL | 175 mg/dL | 174 mg/dL | 173 mg/dL |
| 172 mg/dL | 171 mg/dL | 170 mg/dL | 169 mg/dL | 168 mg/dL | 167 mg/dL | 166 mg/dL | 165 mg/dL |
| 164 mg/dL | 163 mg/dL | 162 mg/dL | 161 mg/dL | 160 mg/dL | 159 mg/dL | 158 mg/dL | 157 mg/dL |
| 156 mg/dL | 155 mg/dL | 154 mg/dL | 153 mg/dL | 152 mg/dL | 151 mg/dL | 150 mg/dL | |
| Marked hypotransferrinemia | |||||||
| 149 mg/dL | 148 mg/dL | 147 mg/dL | 146 mg/dL | 145 mg/dL | 144 mg/dL | 143 mg/dL | 142 mg/dL |
| 141 mg/dL | 140 mg/dL | 139 mg/dL | 138 mg/dL | 137 mg/dL | 136 mg/dL | 135 mg/dL | 134 mg/dL |
| 133 mg/dL | 132 mg/dL | 131 mg/dL | 130 mg/dL | 129 mg/dL | 128 mg/dL | 127 mg/dL | 126 mg/dL |
| 125 mg/dL | 124 mg/dL | 123 mg/dL | 122 mg/dL | 121 mg/dL | 120 mg/dL | 119 mg/dL | 118 mg/dL |
| 117 mg/dL | 116 mg/dL | 115 mg/dL | 114 mg/dL | 113 mg/dL | 112 mg/dL | 111 mg/dL | 110 mg/dL |
| 109 mg/dL | 108 mg/dL | 107 mg/dL | 106 mg/dL | 105 mg/dL | 104 mg/dL | 103 mg/dL | 102 mg/dL |
| 101 mg/dL | 100 mg/dL | 99 mg/dL | 98 mg/dL | 97 mg/dL | 96 mg/dL | 95 mg/dL | 94 mg/dL |
| 93 mg/dL | 92 mg/dL | 91 mg/dL | 90 mg/dL | 89 mg/dL | 88 mg/dL | 87 mg/dL | 86 mg/dL |
| 85 mg/dL | 84 mg/dL | 83 mg/dL | 82 mg/dL | 81 mg/dL | 80 mg/dL | 79 mg/dL | 78 mg/dL |
| 77 mg/dL | 76 mg/dL | 75 mg/dL | 74 mg/dL | 73 mg/dL | 72 mg/dL | 71 mg/dL | 70 mg/dL |
| 69 mg/dL | 68 mg/dL | 67 mg/dL | 66 mg/dL | 65 mg/dL | 64 mg/dL | 63 mg/dL | 62 mg/dL |
| 61 mg/dL | 60 mg/dL | 59 mg/dL | 58 mg/dL | 57 mg/dL | 56 mg/dL | 55 mg/dL | 54 mg/dL |
| 53 mg/dL | 52 mg/dL | 51 mg/dL | 50 mg/dL | 49 mg/dL | 48 mg/dL | 47 mg/dL | 46 mg/dL |
| 45 mg/dL | 44 mg/dL | 43 mg/dL | 42 mg/dL | 41 mg/dL | 40 mg/dL | 39 mg/dL | 38 mg/dL |
| 37 mg/dL | 36 mg/dL | 35 mg/dL | 34 mg/dL | 33 mg/dL | 32 mg/dL | 31 mg/dL | 30 mg/dL |
| 29 mg/dL | 28 mg/dL | 27 mg/dL | 26 mg/dL | 25 mg/dL | 24 mg/dL | 23 mg/dL | 22 mg/dL |
| 21 mg/dL | 20 mg/dL | 19 mg/dL | 18 mg/dL | 17 mg/dL | 16 mg/dL | 15 mg/dL | 14 mg/dL |
| 13 mg/dL | 12 mg/dL | 11 mg/dL | 10 mg/dL | ||||
| Severe hypotransferrinemia | |||||||
| 9 mg/dL | 8 mg/dL | 7 mg/dL | 6 mg/dL | 5 mg/dL | 4 mg/dL | 3 mg/dL | 2 mg/dL |
| 1 mg/dL | 0 mg/dL | ||||||