Determination of iron status: brief review of physiological effects on iron measures.

In the last 25 years the repertoire for clinical determination of iron status has been extended with important methods. From blood samples it is now possible to obtain information on the size of the body iron stores and on possible tissue iron deficiency by the levels of serum ferritin and serum transferrin receptor, respectively. These iron measures can be used together to distinguish between iron deficiency anaemia and anaemia from other causes.