Iron-Binding Capacity, Total (TIBC) Unit Converter

Total iron binding capacity (TIBC) measures how well your blood can bind to iron and transport it throughout your body. It reflects the amount of transferrin, the main protein that carries iron in your bloodstream, available to bind iron.

Under normal conditions, transferrin is only about 25-30% saturated with iron, leaving extra capacity in reserve. When iron stores are low, the liver produces more transferrin to capture more iron from the diet, raising TIBC. When iron is excessive, less transferrin is needed, lowering TIBC.

TIBC is typically ordered as part of an iron panel alongside serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin saturation to provide a complete picture of iron status.

TIBC reflects the level of transferrin, which is produced mainly in the liver. The liver adjusts transferrin production based on the body's iron needs, increasing production when iron stores are low and decreasing it when iron is plentiful.