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Minerals

Transferrin: the protein that carries iron through the blood, and the values per laboratory

Transferrin is a protein that carries iron through the body. According to the NVKC, the Dutch society of clinical chemists, iron does not occur in free form in the blood: it is bound to transferrin, and that is how it is transported through the body. According to the NVKC, each transferrin molecule has two sites where iron can bind.

According to the NVKC, a raised transferrin could fit iron deficiency, and a lowered transferrin an excess of iron in the body, as in haemochromatosis. According to the NVKC, a lack of iron can cause too little haemoglobin, the oxygen-binding protein in the red blood cells. Only a blood test shows how much transferrin is in the blood.

Star-SHL uses 2.2 to 3.6 g/l for transferrin in men and 2.5 to 3.8 g/l in women. Unilabs uses 1.8 to 2.9 g/l in men and 1.8 to 3.2 g/l in women, and Diagnostiek voor U 2.0 to 4.1 g/L in people older than 16.

Doctor's Assessment Included

Transferrin is the protein that iron in the blood is bound to and with which iron is carried through the body. According to the NVKC, a raised transferrin could fit iron deficiency, a lowered one an excess of iron.

  • Star-SHL uses 2.2 to 3.6 g/l in men and 2.5 to 3.8 g/l in women; Unilabs 1.8 to 2.9 g/l in men and 1.8 to 3.2 g/l in women.
  • Diagnostiek voor U uses 2.0 to 4.1 g/L in people older than 16.
  • According to the NVKC, TIBC is another way of reporting the same measured amount of transferrin, in µmol per litre.

Reference Ranges

See the value that applies to you:

Choose male or female — this range differs by sex.

Enter your age — this range changes with age.

This range also depends on context such as cycle phase or sample material; the highlighted rows apply to your group.

Male Your group
g/l
Low 2 Normal 3.5 High
Female Your group
g/l
Low 2 Normal 3.5 High

Source: NVKC Reference population: Dutch adults (NVKC)

Reference ranges may vary between laboratories. When you order a test, a BIG-registered doctor assesses your personal results in context. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.

Check your own value

Transferrin: what Dutch laboratories use

Reference ranges by group, in g/l
Star-shl · Male 2.2–3.6 g/l
2.2 3.6
Star-shl · Female 2.5–3.8 g/l
2.5 3.8
Unilabs · Male 1.8–2.9 g/l
1.8 2.9
Unilabs · Female 1.8–3.2 g/l
1.8 3.2
Diagnostiek voor U · Everyone · 17 years and older 2.0–4.1 g/L
2 4.1
0 4.51 g/l

Source: Star-shl

Source: Unilabs

Source: Diagnostiek voor U

Each value as the laboratory itself publishes it, retrieved in 2026.

Transferrin: what this test measures

The transferrin test measures the amount of transferrin in the blood, in grams per litre (g/l). According to the NVKC, the test thereby determines the maximum amount of iron that can be bound to transferrin. Star-SHL names ‘turbidimetrisch’ (turbidimetric) as the method.

Transferrin: why this value matters

Transferrin matters because, according to the NVKC, the test gives information about the capacity to transport iron in the blood. According to the NVKC, a serum iron or transferrin test can establish whether further investigation or treatment of iron deficiency is needed. According to the NVKC, too little haemoglobin in the blood is called anaemia.

Transferrin: how the blood test works

Referral
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The draw
A blood draw from a vein in the arm, at a partner laboratory's draw site. No home kit, no finger prick.
Which test
Vitamin & mineral checkup · €229,-
Where
650+ draw sites run by independent laboratories across the Netherlands. Draw sites

Transferrin: when is testing worthwhile?

According to the NVKC, the doctor requests a transferrin test when an excess or a shortage of iron in the body is suspected, often together with the serum iron test and the ferritin test. According to the NVKC, when iron overload (haemochromatosis) is suspected, or when that condition runs in the family, a transferrin test is often requested to see whether further investigation is needed.

Transferrin: symptoms of a high or low value

Low Levels

According to the NVKC, a lowered transferrin could fit an excess of iron in the body, as in haemochromatosis. According to the NVKC, certain (inherited) forms of anaemia can also go with iron accumulation. According to the NVKC, a lowered transferrin can also point to a low-protein diet or to a liver that functions less well.

High Levels

According to the NVKC, a raised transferrin could fit iron deficiency. According to the NVKC, in pregnancy and with use of the contraceptive pill the TIBC, another way of reporting the measured transferrin, can also be raised. According to the NVKC, in anaemia from iron deficiency the red blood cells are usually smaller and less well filled with haemoglobin than normal.

Transferrin: causes of a low or high value

What lowers the value

  • Iron excess, for example haemochromatosis

    A lowered transferrin could fit an excess of iron in the body, as in haemochromatosis. Certain (inherited) forms of anaemia can also go with iron accumulation.

  • Low-protein diet

    A lowered transferrin can also point to a low-protein diet.

  • Reduced liver function

    A lowered transferrin can also point to the liver functioning less well.

What raises the value

  • Iron deficiency

    A raised transferrin could fit iron deficiency.

  • Pregnancy

    In pregnancy the TIBC, another way of reporting the measured transferrin, can be raised.

  • Contraceptive pill

    With use of the contraceptive pill the TIBC, another way of reporting the measured transferrin, can be raised.

Transferrin: lifestyle and this value

Discuss an abnormal transferrin with your GP. According to the NVKC, a transferrin within the reference values, combined with a normal iron concentration, means there is no shortage or excess of iron.

Transferrin: frequently asked questions

What is the difference between transferrin and TIBC?

According to the NVKC, transferrin and TIBC, the total iron-binding capacity, are two ways of reporting the same measured amount of transferrin: transferrin in grams per litre and TIBC in µmol per litre. According to the NVKC, one of the two results is therefore almost always enough.

Which reference values do most laboratories use for transferrin?

According to the NVKC, most laboratories use 2.0 to 3.5 g/l for transferrin, and 45 to 80 µmol/l for TIBC.

Transferrin: sources

  1. Nederlandse Vereniging voor Klinische Chemie en Laboratoriumgeneeskunde. Alles over testen. Over AFP: "De referentiewaarden kunnen verschillen tussen laboratoria, afhankelijk van de methode. Ga daarom uitsluitend af op de referentiewaarden van het laboratorium dat het onderzoek heeft uitgevoerd en interpreteer nooit AFP-uitslagen van verschillende laboratoria door elkaar." Geraadpleegd 14 juli 2026. (retrieved 2026) allesovertesten.nl
  2. Star-shl, Labbepalingen (referentiewaarden per bepaling), star-shl.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) star-shl.nl
  3. Unilabs, Bepalingenklapper (referentiewaarden per bepaling), bepalingenklapper.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) bepalingenklapper.nl
  4. Diagnostiek voor U, eLabgids (Referentiewaarden DvU), diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu
  5. NVKC, Alles over testen: Transferrine, allesovertesten.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-17 (retrieved 2026) allesovertesten.nl

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Transferrin

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