Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 30, 2026
05:23
Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload
Published on: March 14, 2017
20.7K
Beyond soluble transferrin receptor: old challenges and new horizons
Kristian Harms1, Thorsten Kaiser1
1Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Best Practice & Research. Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
|November 3, 2015
Summary
Iron metabolism disorders are common. Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and ferritin levels help distinguish iron deficiency and anemia of chronic disease, aiding diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Hematology
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Iron metabolism disturbances present diagnostic challenges in clinical practice.
- Differentiating between iron deficiency, anemia of chronic disease, and combined states requires careful biomarker analysis.
- Inflammatory conditions complicate the interpretation of standard iron status indicators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the biological roles of iron metabolism and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR).
- To discuss the clinical applications and limitations of sTfR and related indices.
- To explore future research directions for sTfR in iron status assessment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on iron metabolism, sTfR biology, and clinical utility.
- Analysis of established biomarkers for iron deficiency and anemia of chronic disease.
- Examination of the sTfR/ferritin ratio and reticulocyte hemoglobin content.
Main Results:
- Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) reflects tissue iron status and erythropoiesis.
- The sTfR/ferritin ratio, alongside reticulocyte hemoglobin content, aids in classifying iron deficiency states.
- sTfR offers valuable insights but has limitations in specific clinical scenarios.
Conclusions:
- sTfR is a key biomarker for assessing iron metabolism and erythropoiesis.
- Combined use of sTfR, ferritin, and reticulocyte hemoglobin content improves diagnostic accuracy.
- Further research is needed to optimize the clinical application of sTfR in complex anemias.
Related Concept Videos
01:28The Early Endosome: Endocytosis of Transferrin
5.2K
Essential proteins such as insulin or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and micronutrients such as iron enter a eukaryotic cell through receptor-mediated endocytosis. Subsequently, the early endosomes fuse with the vesicles containing such receptor-ligand complexes and play a vital role in sorting the incoming ligands and receptors. While the ligands are either degraded inside the vesicle or released into the cytosol, their receptors are returned to the plasma membrane for further rounds of...
5.2K
01:23Transcellular Transport of Solutes
5.3K
Transcellular transport of solutes is the movement of substances like monosaccharides and amino acids through polarized cells. This transport mechanism is primarily seen in epithelial and endothelial cells aided by membrane transport proteins such as channels and transporters. The tight junctions between these cells confine the membrane proteins to the two sides of the cell. The epithelial cells have distinct apical and basolateral domains. In contrast, the endothelial cells show the luminal...
5.3K