MEASUREMENT OF SOLUBLE TRANSFERRIN RECEPTOR IN SERUM OF HEALTHY-ADULTS

The concentration of soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) in serum is r eported to be useful in the diagnosis of iron deficiency, especially f or patients with concurrent chronic disease, where routine tests of ir on status are compromised by the inflammatory condition. A new diagnos tic assay for sTfR is calibrated against natural plasma sTfR, thus min imizing calibration discrepancies that result from differences between the analyte and the cellular transferrin receptor used in other assay s. Use of the new assay to measure sTfR concentrations in 225 healthy, hematologically normal adults provided a reference interval against w hich pathological samples could be compared. There was no difference i n the reference intervals for men and women and no correlation of [sTf R] with the age of the subject. Black subjects had significantly highe r concentrations than nonblacks, and people living at high altitude ha d higher concentrations than those living closer to sea level. These d ifferences were additive.