A haptoglobin test is a blood test that measures the level of haptoglobin in your blood. Haptoglobin is a protein produced by the liver that binds to hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body.
When red blood cells are destroyed, hemoglobin is released into the bloodstream. Haptoglobin binds to the free hemoglobin and removes it from the blood. This prevents the hemoglobin from causing damage to tissues and organs, and also helps to recycle the iron in hemoglobin.