Which of the following lab results is indicative of iron deficiency anemia?

The lab results indicative of iron deficiency anemia include decreased mean corpuscular volume (MCV), decreased ferritin levels, and increased total iron-binding capacity (TIBC).

In iron deficiency anemia, the body has insufficient iron, leading to the production of smaller, paler red blood cells, which is reflected in a decreased MCV. Ferritin, a protein that stores iron, would be low because the body's iron stores are depleted. TIBC, on the other hand, tends to be elevated in iron deficiency anemia because the body attempts to maximize the transport of available iron by increasing the number of transferrin molecules available to bind iron.

This combination of laboratory findings—decreased MCV, decreased ferritin, and high TIBC—is characteristic of iron deficiency anemia and helps differentiate it from other types of anemia, such as anemia of chronic disease, where ferritin levels might be normal or high, and TIBC would typically be low.