Total Iron-Binding Capacity

Abbreviation: TIBC

Panel: Iron Studies · All iron studies tests

Typical adult reference range

Conventional units250–450 µg/dL
SI units45–81 µmol/L

Ranges vary between laboratories and methods — compare your result with the range printed on your own report.

What a high or low result can mean

High total iron-binding capacity: high values can be seen in iron deficiency and pregnancy.

Low total iron-binding capacity: low values may occur in chronic inflammation, malnutrition, or liver disease.

These are associations, not a diagnosis: the same result can have several causes, and your clinician interprets it with the rest of your results and history.

Good to know

Usually calculated from transferrin or measured as iron plus UIBC.

Please note: Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and between the methods and instruments they use — the range printed on your own report is the one your result should be compared with. A result outside the range is not by itself a diagnosis, and a result inside it does not rule out illness. These pages are an educational summary, not medical advice: always discuss your results with the clinician who ordered them, who can interpret them in the context of your health and history.