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Transferrin Unit Converter
Transferrin (Tf) is the principal iron-transport protein in plasma. It binds ferric iron (Fe3+) absorbed from the diet or released from stores and delivers it to the bone marrow for erythropoiesis.
Transferrin levels are a key component of the Iron Panel. It acts as a **negative acute-phase reactant**, meaning levels decrease during inflammation, liver disease, or malnutrition, and increase during iron deficiency. This converter facilitates switching between standard mass units (mg/dL) and SI molar units (μmol/L).
Mass Units
StandardMilligrams per deciliter (Common US Unit).
SI Units / Molar
Micromoles per liter (SI Standard).
Clinical Context
Reference Ranges (Adults):
• 200 – 360 mg/dL (2.0 – 3.6 g/L).
Interpretation:
• High: Iron Deficiency Anemia (body attempts to capture more iron), Pregnancy, Estrogen therapy.
• Low: Iron Overload (Hemochromatosis), Liver disease, Malnutrition (protein deficiency), Chronic Inflammation.
Conversion Logic:
Molecular Weight of Transferrin: ~79,570 Da (79.57 kDa).
1 mg/dL ≈ 0.126 μmol/L.
1 μmol/L ≈ 7.957 mg/dL.
Clinical References
How to Use This Converter
Follow these steps to normalize Transferrin values.
Enter Values
Input your laboratory result into the corresponding unit field (e.g., mg/dL).
Automatic Conversion
The calculator converts between mass units and the SI molar unit using the molecular weight of 79.57 kDa.
Reset
Use the Clear button to reset all fields.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are closely related. TIBC (Total Iron Binding Capacity) measures the capacity of transferrin to bind iron. Transferrin concentration can be estimated from TIBC: Transferrin = TIBC × 0.70.
It is the percentage of transferrin binding sites occupied by iron. Calculated as: (Serum Iron / TIBC) × 100.