Iron tests are groups of clinical chemistry laboratory blood tests that are used to evaluate body iron stores or the iron level in blood serum.

This article needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. (September 2018)

Other terms used for the same tests are iron panel, iron profile, iron indices, iron status or iron studies.

• Serum iron
• Ferritin
• Transferrin
• Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC)
• Transferrin saturation (Iron saturation of transferrin)
• Unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC)
• Transferrin receptor (TfR)

• Complete blood count (CBC), especially:
  • Hemoglobin, EVF or total red blood cells (RBC count)
  • Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)
  • Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) or MCHC

More information Serum iron, Transferrin and TIBC ...

IRON PANEL	Serum iron	Transferrin and TIBC	Transferrin saturation	Ferritin	Transferrin receptor	Related tests
						Hb	MCV
Iron deficiency anemia
Iron overload (hemochromatosis)					*	Normal
Anemia of chronic disease				*	*
Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT)					Normal
Thalassemia
Sideroblastic anemia					*
Megaloblastic anemia
Hemolytic anemia	*	*	*	*
Pregnancy or use of hormonal contraception	Normal

Close

* = or normal.

• Reference ranges for blood tests#Ions and trace metals, for reference ranges for tests above