# Blood test abbreviations, including the ones nobody explains

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Every lab invents a few. Here is what the letters on the report stand for, grouped the way the report groups them.

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Lab reports use abbreviations for tests, units, and calculated indices. The common ones are standard: CBC is a complete blood count, LFT is liver function tests, HbA1c is glycated haemoglobin, and MCV is mean corpuscular volume. Others, such as P-LCR, A/G ratio, and NLR, are calculated values that many consumer explanations leave out.

## How to use this list

Find the abbreviation exactly as it is printed on your report. The full name is usually printed beside it, sometimes only on the first page of the panel. If a code is not here, the report's legend or the lab's help desk is the reliable source; do not guess from the letters.

The lists are grouped by panel because that is how the report groups them. A single report often contains several panels at once.

## Complete blood count

| Abbreviation | Stands for | What it refers to |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hb / HGB | Haemoglobin | The oxygen-carrying protein inside red blood cells. |
| HCT / PCV | Haematocrit / packed cell volume | The share of blood volume taken up by red cells. |
| RBC | Red blood cell count | The number of red cells per volume of blood. |
| MCV | Mean corpuscular volume | The average size of a red cell. |
| MCH | Mean corpuscular haemoglobin | The average amount of haemoglobin per red cell. |
| MCHC | Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration | The haemoglobin concentration inside red cells. |
| RDW / RDW-CV | Red cell distribution width | How much red cell size varies. |
| WBC / TLC | White blood cell count / total leukocyte count | The number of white cells per volume. |
| NEUT / ANC | Neutrophils / absolute neutrophil count | The most common white cell, involved in the response to bacterial infection. |
| LYMPH | Lymphocytes | Immune cells involved in viral responses and antibody production. |
| MONO | Monocytes | Cells that clear debris and help coordinate the immune response. |
| EOS | Eosinophils | White cells associated with allergic responses and parasites. |
| BASO | Basophils | The least common white cell, involved in allergic responses. |
| NLR | Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio | A calculated ratio used as a general marker of inflammation in some contexts. |
| PLT | Platelet count | The number of platelets, the cells involved in clotting. |
| MPV | Mean platelet volume | The average size of platelets. |
| PDW | Platelet distribution width | How much platelet size varies. |
| P-LCR | Platelet large cell ratio | The proportion of platelets that are larger than usual. |
| ESR | Erythrocyte sedimentation rate | A general inflammation marker, often printed near the CBC rather than inside it. |

## Liver function

| Abbreviation | Stands for | What it refers to |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ALT / SGPT | Alanine aminotransferase / serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase | A liver enzyme; the older name is still common on Indian reports. |
| AST / SGOT | Aspartate aminotransferase / serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase | An enzyme found in the liver, muscle, and heart. |
| ALP | Alkaline phosphatase | An enzyme from the liver, bile ducts, and bone. |
| GGT | Gamma-glutamyl transferase | A bile-duct enzyme often read alongside ALP. |
| TBIL | Total bilirubin | The total breakdown product of haemoglobin. |
| DBIL | Direct bilirubin | The conjugated fraction of bilirubin. |
| IBIL | Indirect bilirubin | The unconjugated fraction of bilirubin. |
| ALB | Albumin | The main protein made by the liver. |
| TP | Total protein | Albumin plus globulin. |
| GLOB | Globulin | The protein fraction other than albumin. |
| A/G | Albumin-to-globulin ratio | A calculated ratio of the two protein fractions. |

## Kidney function

| Abbreviation | Stands for | What it refers to |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BUN | Blood urea nitrogen | The nitrogen portion of urea, a waste product filtered by the kidneys. |
| Urea | Urea | The same waste product, reported as urea rather than as nitrogen. |
| CREA / SrCr | Creatinine / serum creatinine | A muscle waste product filtered by the kidneys. |
| eGFR | Estimated glomerular filtration rate | An estimate of filtering rate, adjusted for body size and often age and sex. |
| UA | Uric acid | A waste product of purine breakdown. |
| ACR / UACR | Albumin-to-creatinine ratio (urine) | Urine albumin measured relative to urine creatinine. |
| Microalbumin | Urine microalbumin | A small amount of albumin in urine, reported separately from the ratio. |

## Lipid profile

| Abbreviation | Stands for | What it refers to |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TC | Total cholesterol | The total of the cholesterol carried in the blood. |
| LDL-C | Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol | The cholesterol carried by LDL particles. |
| HDL-C | High-density lipoprotein cholesterol | The cholesterol carried by HDL particles. |
| TG | Triglycerides | A form of stored fat measured in the blood. |
| VLDL | Very low-density lipoprotein | A triglyceride-rich lipoprotein; often calculated rather than measured. |
| Non-HDL | Non-HDL cholesterol | Total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol. |
| TC/HDL | Total cholesterol to HDL ratio | A calculated ratio. |
| LDL/HDL | LDL to HDL ratio | A calculated ratio. |
| TG/HDL | Triglyceride to HDL ratio | A calculated ratio used as a marker of metabolic risk. |
| ApoB | Apolipoprotein B | The protein on the surface of atherogenic particles. |
| Lp(a) | Lipoprotein(a) | A lipoprotein with an inherited component. |

## Thyroid, glucose, and HbA1c

| Abbreviation | Stands for | What it refers to |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TSH | Thyroid-stimulating hormone | The pituitary signal that regulates thyroid output. |
| T3 / FT3 | Triiodothyronine / free T3 | A thyroid hormone; the free fraction is the unbound portion. |
| T4 / FT4 | Thyroxine / free T4 | The main thyroid hormone; the free fraction is the unbound portion. |
| TPOAb | Thyroid peroxidase antibodies | Antibodies directed at a thyroid enzyme. |
| TgAb | Thyroglobulin antibodies | Antibodies directed at thyroglobulin. |
| FBS / FPG | Fasting blood sugar / fasting plasma glucose | Glucose measured after a period without food. |
| PPBS | Post-prandial blood sugar | Glucose measured after a meal. |
| RBS | Random blood sugar | Glucose measured without a fasting requirement. |
| HbA1c | Glycated haemoglobin | The share of haemoglobin carrying glucose, reflecting a longer period. |
| eAG | Estimated average glucose | An estimate derived from HbA1c. |
| FSI | Fasting serum insulin | Insulin measured after fasting. |
| HOMA-IR | Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance | A calculated estimate from fasting glucose and insulin. |
| OGTT | Oral glucose tolerance test | A timed glucose test after a measured glucose drink. |

## Vitamins, iron, and inflammation

| Abbreviation | Stands for | What it refers to |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25(OH)D | 25-hydroxyvitamin D | The usual blood measure of vitamin D status. |
| B12 | Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) | A vitamin involved in nerve function and blood cell production. |
| Folate | Vitamin B9 | A vitamin involved in red cell production. |
| Fe | Serum iron | Iron circulating in the blood. |
| TIBC | Total iron-binding capacity | A measure of how much iron the blood can bind. |
| TSAT | Transferrin saturation | The share of iron-binding capacity that is occupied. |
| Ferritin | Ferritin | A protein that stores iron; also rises with inflammation. |
| CRP | C-reactive protein | A protein that rises with inflammation. |
| hs-CRP | High-sensitivity C-reactive protein | A more sensitive CRP measurement, used in cardiovascular risk contexts. |

## Urine routine

| Code | Stands for | What it refers to |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SG | Specific gravity | How concentrated the urine is. |
| PRO | Protein | Protein detected in urine. |
| GLU | Glucose | Glucose detected in urine. |
| KET | Ketones | Ketone bodies detected in urine. |
| BLD | Blood | Blood or haemoglobin detected in urine. |
| LE | Leukocyte esterase | An enzyme suggesting white cells in urine. |
| NIT | Nitrite | A product of some bacteria in urine. |
| EPI | Epithelial cells | Cells shed from the urinary tract lining. |
| CAST | Casts | Cylindrical structures formed in kidney tubules. |
| CRY | Crystals | Crystal deposits seen in urine. |

## Why two labs use different codes

A lab's report template decides which abbreviation it prints, and older names stay in use long after newer ones are standard. SGOT and SGPT are a good example: the enzymes are now called AST and ALT, but many Indian reports still print the older pair.

Calculated indices are also local. One lab prints P-LCR, another does not. That does not make the result more or less important; it means the lab chose to report a derived number.

## Abbreviations

**What does CBC stand for?**

Complete blood count. It is the panel that reports haemoglobin, haematocrit, red cells, white cells, platelets, and often the differential counts.

**What is the difference between SGOT and AST?**

They are the same enzyme. SGOT is the older name for aspartate aminotransferase. SGPT is the older name for alanine aminotransferase. Many labs print both the old and new names together.

**What is P-LCR on a blood report?**

Platelet large cell ratio, the proportion of platelets larger than a set threshold. It is a calculated index, not a separate test, and it is usually read alongside the platelet count and MPV.

**Why does my report use a code that is not on this list?**

Labs use local templates, and older abbreviations stay in circulation. The report's legend or the lab's help desk is the reliable source. Do not guess a meaning from the letters.

**Does a flagged abbreviation mean I have a disease?**

No. The abbreviation is a label for the test, and a flag means the result fell outside the printed range. A diagnosis needs the value, the range, the history, and a clinician.

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