Transferrin Unit Converter

Convert transferrin between mg/dL, g/L, mg/L and µmol/L, with adult reference intervals.

Last updated 31 Aug 2026

Transferrin converter

Mass ⇄ molar

Transferrin

Many laboratories report transferrin in g/L; 1 g/L = 100 mg/dL.

Reference groupRanges are laboratory-specific; confirm against your own report.

2.65g/LExample

Transferrin 265 mg/dL

Formula and conversion factor

g/L = mg/dL ÷ 100
µmol/L = mg/dL × 0.1257

0.1257: derived from the apotransferrin molecular weight, 79,570 Da
TIBC: ≈ transferrin in mg/dL × 1.25, giving TIBC in µg/dL

Worked example

Transferrin 265 mg/dL
265 ÷ 100 = 2.65 g/L
265 × 0.1257 = 33.30 µmol/L
Estimated TIBC = 265 × 1.25 = 331 µg/dL

Reference ranges

Oestrogen raises transferrin, so pregnancy and combined oral contraceptives give values above the non-pregnant adult range.
Group	mg/dL	g/L	µmol/L
Adult	200 – 360	2.00 – 3.60	25.1 – 45.2
Pregnancy, third trimester	300 – 500	3.00 – 5.00	37.7 – 62.8
Newborn	130 – 275	1.30 – 2.75	16.3 – 34.6

What transferrin measures

Transferrin is the plasma glycoprotein that carries iron from the gut and from macrophage stores to the erythroid marrow. Each molecule binds two ferric ions, and the proportion of sites occupied — transferrin saturation — is the physiologically meaningful number rather than the protein concentration itself.

Hepatic synthesis is regulated inversely to iron stores, so transferrin rises as iron falls. This is the mechanism behind the classic iron-deficiency pattern of low serum iron with high transferrin and a very low saturation. Oestrogen independently increases synthesis, which is why pregnancy and combined oral contraceptives raise transferrin without implying deficiency.

Transferrin is also a negative acute-phase reactant and a marker of hepatic synthetic function and nutritional state. It falls in inflammation, chronic liver disease, malnutrition, nephrotic syndrome and protein-losing enteropathy. That dual behaviour is exactly why a low transferrin cannot be read as evidence against iron deficiency: an inflamed, malnourished patient can be profoundly iron deficient with a transferrin in the normal range or below it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert transferrin from mg/dL to g/L?

Divide by 100. A transferrin of 265 mg/dL is 2.65 g/L. Laboratories in the United States tend to report mg/dL; most other countries report g/L.

How is transferrin related to TIBC?

TIBC measures the same capacity indirectly. TIBC in µg/dL is approximately transferrin in mg/dL multiplied by 1.25, though the exact relationship varies slightly with the assay.

What does a low transferrin mean?

It points away from iron deficiency and towards inflammation, liver disease, malnutrition or protein loss. Transferrin falls as part of the acute-phase response, so a normal-looking value in an inflamed patient may still be inappropriately low for their iron status.

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References

Camaschella C. Iron deficiency. Blood. 2019;133(1):30–39.
UniProt P02787 — serotransferrin, molecular weight 79,570 Da.