Measurement of total iron binding capacity in Thai Blood donors by a micro-technique.

A micro-method with a high percentage of reproducibility and recovery was used to determine TIBC in 207 Thai blood donors. The mean values of TIBC were found to be 312 mu-g per 100 ml (S.D. = 46) in 149 male and 339 mu-g per 100 ml (S.D. = 58) in 58 female subjects respectively. There was a good relationship between these values and those obtained from the macro-technique using bathophenathroline in 105 samples. The corresponding results determined by the macro-technique were 328 mu-g per 100 ml (S.D. = 59) and 328 mu-g per 100 ml (S.D. = 74) in 106 male and 40 female subjects respectively. These results were fond to be in accordance with the result reported previously by other authors using different methods. The micro-method used in the present studies needed only 0.2 ml of serum. Determination of TIBC by this method and serum iron by the ultra-micro technique would be very valuable in the investigation of anaemia in the field studies particularly in infants.