Haematology

Name

Alternative name/Profile

Department

Investigation

Specimen type

Sample type

Sample container & volume

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Availability

Notes

Important sample requirements for external users:

Please centrifuge and separate the serum. As the assay will not be completed within 24 hours, freeze serum at -20⁰ C or colder before and during shipment.

Urgent analysis available on request.

Limitations of this assay:

Heterophilic antibodies in human serum can react with reagent immunoglobulins, interfering with in vitro immunoassays. Patients routinely exposed to animals or to animal serum products can be prone to this.

Please contact the laboratory 01 4162012 for further information regarding limitations of this assay.

Related links

The sTfR test is a specialised test ordered primarily to help distinguish between anaemia caused by iron deficiency and anaemia caused by chronic disease or inflammation. Ferritin is usually the preferred test to evaluate stored iron but because it is an acute phase reactant it may be increased with inflammation or with chronic diseases unlike the sTfR which is less affected. Because the serum concentration of sTfR reflects erythropoietic activity it may be increased in individuals with stimulated erythropoiesis, such as haemolytic or sickle cell anaemias, and decreased in individuals with impaired erythropoiesis such as following cancer chemotherapy. Consequently, sTfR can only be used as an indicator of iron status when iron stores are empty and there are no other known causes of abnormal erythropoiesis.

Reference range

9 - 28 nmol/L

Last updated

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:29:05 GMT