Common lab results on a CBC Anemia/Iron Study and their interpretations

COMMON IRON MARKERS

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body like a storage cabinet. Too little points to mild to severe iron deficiency. I've seen labs go as low as 2 for the reference interval, but generally, it should be about 100 with 70 as the minimum reference point.

Transferrin is the protein produced by the liver that transfers iron to the tissues.

TSAT is transferrin saturation, the percentage of transferrin bound to iron.

TIBC is total iron binding capacity, a direct measurement of transferrin's capacity to bind to iron and act as a transport.

UIBC (I don't see that as often) is unsaturated iron binding capacity, is sort of the opposite of TIBC. It's the direct measurement of unbound transferrin and how much capacity is left to transfer iron.

COMMON ANEMIA MARKERS

MCH is mean corpuscular hemoglobin, the average number of hemoglobin per red blood cell (RBC)

MCHC not to be confused with MCH, is mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, a direct measurement of the average hemoglobin concentration per RBC.

MCV is mean cell volume, the average size of the RBCs, helping to diagnose the specific kind of anemia.

HCT is hematocrit, a direct percentage that reflects how much blood volume contains RBCs.

HGB is hemoglobin, the essential protein that binds to and delivers oxygen to tissues and returns the carbon dioxide to the lungs.