Test Id : IRON
Iron, Serum
Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful
Aiding in the evaluation of iron deficiency and iron overload diseases in combination with total iron binding capacity and percent saturation
Assessment of acute iron poisoning
Method Name
A short description of the method used to perform the test
Only orderable as part of profile. For more information see SFEC / Iron and Total Iron-Binding Capacity, Serum
Colorimetric Assay
NY State Available
Indicates the status of NY State approval and if the test is orderable for NY State clients.
Reporting Name
Lists a shorter or abbreviated version of the Published Name for a test
Aliases
Lists additional common names for a test, as an aid in searching
Iron (Fe)
Serum Iron
Specimen Type
Describes the specimen type validated for testing
Serum
Specimen Required
Defines the optimal specimen required to perform the test and the preferred volume to complete testing
Only orderable as part of profile. For more information see SFEC / Iron and Total Iron-Binding Capacity, Serum
Patient Preparation:
1. Fasting (12 hours)
2. For 24 hours before collection, patient should not take iron-containing supplements.
Supplies: Sarstedt Aliquot Tube 5 mL (T914)
Container/Tube:
Preferred: Serum gel
Acceptable: Red top
Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial
Specimen Volume: 1 mL
Collection Instructions:
1. Draw blood before noon (preferred).
2. Within 2 hours of collection, serum gel tubes should be centrifuged.
3. Within 2 hours of collection, red-top tubes should be centrifuged, and the serum aliquoted into a plastic vial.
Specimen Minimum Volume
Defines the amount of sample necessary to provide a clinically relevant result as determined by the testing laboratory. The minimum volume is sufficient for one attempt at testing.
0.5 mL
Reject Due To
Identifies specimen types and conditions that may cause the specimen to be rejected
| Gross hemolysis | Reject |
| Gross lipemia | OK |
| Gross icterus | OK |
Specimen Stability Information
Provides a description of the temperatures required to transport a specimen to the performing laboratory, alternate acceptable temperatures are also included
| Specimen Type | Temperature | Time | Special Container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serum | Refrigerated (preferred) | 21 days | |
| Frozen | 365 days |
Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful
Aiding in the evaluation of iron deficiency and iron overload diseases in combination with total iron binding capacity and percent saturation
Assessment of acute iron poisoning
Clinical Information
Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test
Iron (Fe) is involved in the function of all cells. Systemic iron homeostasis is maintained by the tight regulation of communication between cells that absorb iron from the diet (duodenal enterocytes), cells that consume iron (mainly erythroid precursors), and cells that store iron (hepatocyte and tissue macrophages). Once ingested iron is absorbed and temporarily stored in the mucosal cells within ferritin. Ferritin provides a soluble protein shell to encapsulate a complex of insoluble ferric hydroxide and ferric phosphate. Iron is released into the blood and transported as Fe (III)-transferrin.(1)
The concentration of iron varies widely, both in normal healthy persons, and in various clinical disorders. The biologic variation of iron is notable in normal healthy persons and in various clinical disorders owing to both diurnal variation and post-prandial effects. Normally, intra-individual serum iron levels undergo significant within day and day-to-day variation. The intraindividual day-to-day variation of iron is approximately 25% to 30%.(1) Serum iron concentration is frequently highest in the morning and declines progressively during the day, to reach a low point near midnight. There are no definitive studies that suggest fasting from food is required; however, serum iron is commonly drawn in the fasting state. Drawing blood three hours after consuming oral iron supplements has been shown to significantly increase serum iron concentration 3 to 5-fold and therefore should be avoided for 24 hours prior to collection.(2)
Reference Values
Describes reference intervals and additional information for interpretation of test results. May include intervals based on age and sex when appropriate. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this.
Only orderable as part of profile. For more information see SFEC / Iron and Total Iron-Binding Capacity, Serum
Males: 50-150 mcg/dL
Females: 35-145 mcg/dL
Interpretation
Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results
Serum iron is elevated in iron overload conditions including hemochromatosis. Additional causes include oral or parenteral intake of medicinal iron, acute hepatitis, and chronic liver failure.(1)
Serum iron is decreased in iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, and anemia of chronic disease.(1)
Cautions
Discusses conditions that may cause diagnostic confusion, including improper specimen collection and handling, inappropriate test selection, and interfering substances
Serum iron is unreliable as the primary test for identification of iron deficiency. The percentage iron saturation of transferrin may be helpful in conjunction with ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor, especially in patients with inflammation.
Recommendations on blood sampling for iron and iron saturation measurements are contradictory; however, minimizing influence of diurnal variation and post-prandial effects can be accomplished by collecting during the morning after an overnight fasting.
Patients should avoid taking iron supplements (oral or parenteral) for 24 hours prior to collection.
Patients treated for acute iron poisoning who are administered metal-binding drugs (eg, deferoxamine) may have falsely decreased iron values.
Clinical Reference
Recommendations for in-depth reading of a clinical nature
1. Swinkels DW. Iron metabolism. In: Rifai N, Chiu RWK, Young I, Burnham CAD, Wittwer CT. Tietz Textbook of Laboratory Medicine. 7th ed. Elsevier, 2023:chap 40
2. Silay K, Akinci S, Yalcin A, et al. The status of iron absorption in older patients with iron deficiency anemia. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2015;19(17):3142-3145
Method Description
Describes how the test is performed and provides a method-specific reference
Under acidic conditions, iron is liberated from transferrin. Lipemic samples are clarified by the detergent. Ascorbate reduces the released Fe(3+) ions to Fe(2+) ions which then react with FerroZine to form a colored complex. The color intensity is directly proportional to the iron concentration and can be measured photometrically.(Package insert: IRON2. Roche Diagnostics; V9.0, 09/2019)
PDF Report
Indicates whether the report includes an additional document with charts, images or other enriched information
Day(s) Performed
Outlines the days the test is performed. This field reflects the day that the sample must be in the testing laboratory to begin the testing process and includes any specimen preparation and processing time before the test is performed. Some tests are listed as continuously performed, which means that assays are performed multiple times during the day.
Monday through Sunday
Report Available
The interval of time (receipt of sample at Mayo Clinic Laboratories to results available) taking into account standard setup days and weekends. The first day is the time that it typically takes for a result to be available. The last day is the time it might take, accounting for any necessary repeated testing.
Specimen Retention Time
Outlines the length of time after testing that a specimen is kept in the laboratory before it is discarded
Performing Laboratory Location
Indicates the location of the laboratory that performs the test
Fees :
Several factors determine the fee charged to perform a test. Contact your U.S. or International Regional Manager for information about establishing a fee schedule or to learn more about resources to optimize test selection.
- Authorized users can sign in to Test Prices for detailed fee information.
- Clients without access to Test Prices can contact Customer Service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Prospective clients should contact their account representative. For assistance, contact Customer Service.
Test Classification
Provides information regarding the medical device classification for laboratory test kits and reagents. Tests may be classified as cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and used per manufacturer instructions, or as products that do not undergo full FDA review and approval, and are then labeled as an Analyte Specific Reagent (ASR) product.
This test has been cleared, approved, or is exempt by the US Food and Drug Administration and is used per manufacturer's instructions. Performance characteristics were verified by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements.
CPT Code Information
Provides guidance in determining the appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code(s) information for each test or profile. The listed CPT codes reflect Mayo Clinic Laboratories interpretation of CPT coding requirements. It is the responsibility of each laboratory to determine correct CPT codes to use for billing.
CPT codes are provided by the performing laboratory.
CPT codes are provided by the performing laboratory.
83540-Iron
LOINC® Information
Provides guidance in determining the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) values for the order and results codes of this test. LOINC values are provided by the performing laboratory.
| Test Id | Test Order Name | Order LOINC Value |
|---|---|---|
| IRON | Iron | 2498-4 |
| Result Id | Test Result Name |
Result LOINC Value
Applies only to results expressed in units of measure originally reported by the performing laboratory. These values do not apply to results that are converted to other units of measure.
|
|---|---|---|
| IRON | Iron | 2498-4 |