Transferrin
Transferrin is the protein that carries iron in the blood. When there is little iron, the body makes more of it.
At a glance
- Sample
- Blood
- Units
- mg/dL (US), g/L (Europe)
- Often looked at with
- Iron, Ferritin, TIBC, Transferrin saturation
- Preparation
- Labs usually ask you to come in the morning, fasting: the iron level changes during the day, and food can raise it.
Units: mg/dL and g/L
US labs usually print transferrin in mg/dL, most European labs in g/L. To convert, divide mg/dL by 100.
g/L = mg/dL ÷ 100
This converter changes units only. It doesn’t tell you whether a number is in or out of any range: that depends on the range printed by your own lab, and on your doctor. Soma does not diagnose and is not medical advice.
Why lab ranges differ
Each lab sets its reference range for its own method and analyser, and many ranges differ by age and sex. Two labs can print different ranges for the same blood, so a result is read against the range on its own report, not against a number from another lab or a website.
Soma charts every transferrin result against the range printed by the lab that measured it.
Questions
How do I convert transferrin from mg/dL to g/L?
Divide mg/dL by 100. For example, 250 mg/dL is 2.5 g/L.
Why does my lab’s transferrin range differ from another lab’s?
Each lab sets its range for its own method and equipment, and many ranges differ by age and sex. That’s why a result is best read against the range printed on the same report.
How do I prepare for a transferrin test?
Labs usually ask you to come in the morning, fasting: the iron level changes during the day, and food can raise it. Follow your lab’s instructions.
Related tests
Got a lab report with Transferrin?
Share it to Soma: it reads every row on your phone, with no account and no upload, and puts your transferrin on one chart with your earlier results, each against the range your lab printed.
Sources
- Iron Tests — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- Units: 1 mg/dL = 0.01 g/L by the metric prefixes, as the Soma app converts.
Mention of a source doesn’t mean it endorses Soma. This page explains the test; it doesn’t diagnose and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about what your results mean.