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Disparity of serum transferrin receptor measurements among different assay methods
G S Yeung1, J C Kjarsgaard, S H Zlotkin
1Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, ON, Canada.
Objective:
To highlight differences in the quantification of transferrin receptor (TfR) concentration (a reliable index of iron deficiency) between three different assay methods.
Design:
Methods comparison of TfR measurements in 'elevated' and 'normal' human sera using the Ramco, Quantikine and 'Lab' assays.
Setting:
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Subjects:
Pooled TfR for elevated and normal human sera obtained from the Ramco TfR assay kit.
Main Outcome Measures:
Differences between TfR concentrations in normal and elevated samples and repeatability for each assay method and limits of agreement in TfR quantification between assay methods.
Results:
The mean TfR concentrations for the elevated reference serum samples was higher than the normal reference samples within each individual assay (P < 0.001); however, measurement agreement between methods was poor.
Conclusions:
Recognition of the relative differences in the values obtained from each of the assays should affect the interpretation of TfR concentration as an index of iron deficiency.