FBC and ZPP can be performed off the same EDTA tube.
GENERAL NOTES
APPLICATION: The measurement of zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) in the red cells is used as a rapid screening test for relative iron-deficienct erythropoesis. In the development of red cells, heme is formed by the insertion of iron into a formed porphyrin ring. In the event of insufficient iron supply or impaired iron utilization, zinc is substituted for iron; hence, the levels of ZPP in the red cell INCREASE and can be used as a functional indicator of the available iron supply.