Anemia

Question 1

Decreased serum Fe
Normal or Increased total iron binding capacity (TIBC)
Decreased % transferrin saturation
Very decreased ferritin

Answer 1

Iron deficiency anemia

Question 2

What is serum fe?

Answer 2

Serum iron.

It begins to drop when the amount of iron actually in the body decreases and iron stores are used up

Question 3

What is transferrin? What cayses it to increase or decrease?

Answer 3

Transferrin in the major iron-transporting protein in the blood

Increases in states of reduced iron

Decreased serum fe + increased transferrin (or TIBC) is highly suggestive of iron deficiency anemia

Question 4

What is the % of transferrin saturation?

Answer 4

The extent to which binding sites for iron on transferrin proteins are occupied by iron

Decreased if low iron, increased if high iron (e.g. hemochromatosis)

Question 5

What is serum ferritin?

Answer 5

Bears direct relationship to the amount of IRON STORES (not serum iron) in the body

Thus, reduced serum ferritin levels can be detected when iron stores are exhausted, even before serum iron decreases

Question 6

Normal or increased serum Fe
Normal TIBC
Normal or Increased % transferrin saturation
Increased or Normal Ferritin

Answer 6

Thalassemia

Question 7

Decreased serum Fe
Normal or decreased TIBC
Decreased % transferrin saturation
Normal or Increased ferritin

Answer 7

Anemia of chronic disease

Question 8

Increased serum Fe
Decreased TIBC
Very increased % transferrin saturation
Very increased Ferritin

Answer 8

Hemochromatosis (iron overload)