Table 1.

Differential diagnosis of anaemia according to laboratory parameters.

	Serum iron	TIBC	Haemoglobin	Ferritin	TS (%)	TsR (mg/l)	EPO
Ferropaenia	↓	↑	N	↓	↓	↑	↑ ↑
Ferropaenic anaemia	↓	↑	↓	↓	↓	↑ ↑	↑ ↑ ↑
Chronic disease anaemia	↓	↓	↓	↑	N	↓N	↑*
Chronic disease anaemia and ferropaenia	↓	↓	↓	N	N	↑	↑*

EPO, erythropoietin; N, normal; TIBC, total iron binding capacity; TS, transferrin saturation; TsR, transferrin soluble receptor; ^*Inappropriate low levels.