Turnaround times
The quoted turnaround time is from sample receipt in the laboratory, to results authorisation in the Laboratory Information Management system. The times do not include transport of specimen to the laboratory or the administrative process to print and post/email reports. Service users must allow for transport and reporting time when ordering tests.
Clinical background:
Transferrin (or TIBC, Total Iron Binding Capacity) is the main transport protein to which iron is bound in the blood. TIBC is a measure of all the proteins in the blood that are available to bind with iron which includes transferrin but of these proteins transferrin is the primary iron-binding protein. The body produces transferrin in relationship to the need for iron. When iron stores are low, transferrin levels increase and vice versa. In healthy people, about one-third of the binding sites on transferrin are used to transport iron. Transferrin saturation (TSAT) – this is a calculation that represents the percentage of transferrin that is saturated with iron.
Transferrin saturation = (Iron (umol/L) x 3.98) / Transferrin (g/L)
Specimen container paediatric:
Serum (SST or plain tube)
Specimen container adult:
Serum (SST or plain tube)
Minimum volume paediatric:
0.5 mL
Minimum volume adult:
1 mL
Sample stability:
Unseparated sample:
11 days
Separated sample:
8 days at 15-25°C,
8 days at 2-8°C,
6 months at -20°C
Interpretation:
Transferrin results need to be considered along with Iron, Ferritin and Transferrin Saturation
Iron Transferrin Transferrin Sat Ferritin
Iron Deficiency ↓ ↑ ↓ ↓
Anaemia of Chronic Disease ↓ ↓ ↓ N
Iron Deficiency & Inflammation ↓ N ↓ N ↓ N
Acute Phase response ↓ ↓ ↓ ↑
Iron Overload ↑ N ↓ ↑ ↑
Reference ranges:
Up to 4 weeks: 0.8 to 1.8 g/L
4 weeks and over: 2.0 to 3.6 g/L
Other info:
lithium heparin plasma sample also acceptable