The Blood Type Test is performed to determine a person's blood type representing markers (called antigens) on the surface of red blood cells. This test will tell indicate if you're A, B, AB or O, and whether that blood type is positive or negative.

There are many types of blood, even though they are made of the same elements. There are eight different common blood types. These eight types are determined by the presence or absence of certain antigens. Antigens can trigger responses from the immune system to foreign substances in the body, including transfused blood in a patient.

There are four major blood groups determined by the presence or absence of two antigens (A and B) on the surface of red blood cells. They are:

• Group A – has only the A antigen on red cells (and B antibody in the plasma)
  • A can donate red blood cells to other As, as well as those in the AB group.
• Group B – has only the B antigen on red cells (and A antibody in the plasma)
  • B can donate red blood cells to Group B and the AB Group.
• Group AB – has both A and B antigens on red cells (but neither A nor B antibody in the plasma)
  • AB can only donate to other AB's, but can receive from all other types.
• Group O – has neither A nor B antigens on red cells (but both A and B antibody are in the plasma)
  • O can donate red blood cells to anybody; it is universal. However, Group O can only receive from others in Group O.

There is also a third antigen called the Rh factor (Rhesus factor) in addition to antigens A and B. 

It can be either present (+) or absent ( – ). In general, Rh-negative blood is given to Rh-negative patients, and either Rh-positive blood or Rh-negative blood may be given to Rh-positive patients

Our Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) Test includes an Iron Test and is used to see if there is too much or too little iron in the blood. Iron moves through the blood attached to a protein called transferrin. The TIBC Test is often used to differentiate between anemia types and gives more iron statistics than the Iron Test alone.

Disorders of iron homeostasis rank among the most common of human diseases. These include states of either iron deficiency (inadequate adsorption or increased loss) or iron overload (normal erythropoiesis but iron exceeds iron binding capacity of transferrin or catabolism of red cells causes iron overload). Serum iron levels fluctuate considerably in response to various pathologic as well as physiologic conditions, and as such, require additional studies to assess a patient's iron status. Blood levels for iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and Ferritin facilitate interpretation.

Iron is transported in the blood by transferrin (essentially all circulating iron is bound to transferrin). The TIBC is the amount of iron needed to 100% saturate transferrin (thus an indirect measurement of transferrin). The assay for iron measures the amount of iron which is bound to transferrin.