? Iron overload

[Pomart]

Hi.

Was hoping someone could help with my results please?

Serum ferritin 62.9 ug/l (13-150)

Serum iron 31.1umol/l (10-30) H

Serum transferrin 1.86 g/l (2-3.6) L

Transferrin saturation index 66.9% (<55) H

Neutrophils 1.7 (2-7) L

GP just wanting to repeat in 2/52

Thanks for reading!!

[Mall]

levels can go up and down for all sorts of reasons like infections, inflammation, what you have eaten recently, other conditions you may have. This is why your GP wants to check them again.

At this point in time I wouldn’t worry that you have the genetic condition haemochromotosis unless you have immediate family with it.

[Pomart in reply to Mall]

thanks Mall.. hopefully repeat come back ok

[Pomart in reply to Mall]

My repeat test has also come back out of range. TSAT is 61%. Gp gas done a gene test so 🤷‍♀️!! No results back yet.

[Mall in reply to Pomart]

I think they do the tests in bulk it can take up to 4 to 6 weeks if you are unlucky.

Hopefully you won’t become a member of the rusty family.

[Pomart in reply to Mall]

🤣. Yes… heard it could take a while. 🤞🤞it is just a blip. Thanks!

[radd]

Pomart,

No, you haven’t got iron overload in the usual haemochromotosis sense. Your labs are skewed because your iron mechanisms aren’t working as they should.

The iron panel is done because serum iron is an unreliable marker for overall iron levels, which can be variable depending upon what you’ve consumed the night before the blood draw .

Your transferrin is low and this is the protein that binds and transports iron around the body. The body usually makes enough transferrin in line with serum iron levels to prevent free iron. The reasons for transferrin being low can be complex but is usually associated with chronic inflammation and/or a lack of dietary protein or being able to digest protein due to gut issues.

This is why T/S is over range as calculated by dividing serum iron with what is bound (TIBC). Your ferritin is within range and WBC's are low. Do you have an autoimmune condition?

[Pomart in reply to radd]

Thanks for that Rad. Yes.. I have hashimotos. My Active B12 had come back too low on a private test(it keeps dropping year on year) and when Gp repeated it this came back. They don’t do active B12, just serum , which was ok. Normally my ferritin in 30’s. My HS CRP was in range which was reassuring. If the Transferrin saturation index remains high on next test what would happpen? You have reassured me that it just may be a temporary fluctuation. Thanks again!

[Autumn_Leaves]

I agree with the others that this is does not look like haemochromatosis/iron overload based on these blood tests and your history.

Are you taking any supplements or fortified foods that contain iron, or have you done so since your last blood tests?

Vitamin C supplements also increase iron absorption and TBH I don’t even think they’re necessary if you eat properly.

Do you have a history of anaemia? If so, haemochromatosis is very unlikely.

My WBC and specifically my neutrophil count has often been below range but will come back into range on retesting. As a haemochromatosis patient, I have regular blood tests which are reviewed by a consultant haeamatologist. They are not concerned about this at all. If they’re not worried, I’m not worried. I’ve had blood tests during viral illnesses and the WBC rises to the challenge in response to infection, so it’s not a concern.

I have no thyroid disease AT ALL. My blood work is all good in that respect. I eat more than adequate protein. I am not worried if my WBC dips from time to time because I know it will come back up again. What matters are trends over the longer term, and the magnitude of the drop, in which case you’d need to see either a properly qualified haematologist or an immunologist.

Nobody on the internet can diagnose you with ANYTHING, nor is it advisable to follow the healthcare advice on enthusiastic amateurs online, no matter how well meaning. If you are worried, please get your GP to organise some blood tests if that’s possible.