Overview
The Immunogenetics Laboratory of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia performs a full range of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics testing including HLA typing, HLA Antibody Screening, Crossmatching, Engraftment Monitoring, and Immune Cell Function testing. This testing is utilized for Solid Organ Transplantation, Bone Marrow Transplantation, and Disease Associations.
A complete list of available tests can be found in the Diagnostic Tests section.
Solid Organ Transplantation
The Immunogenetics laboratory supports the Kidney, Heart, and Lung Transplant programs at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Pre-Transplant
Pre-Transplant testing includes HLA typing, HLA Antibody Screening, and Crossmatching of patients and potential donors.
Post-Transplant
Monitoring for Donor Specific Antibodies (DSA) is routinely performed following transplant. The Immunogenetics Lab performs quantitative determination of antibody levels so that DSA can be monitored over time.
Immune Cell Function (ImmuKnow™) testing is used for post-transplant monitoring of cellular immunity.
Specialized Testing/Services
The Immunogenetics Laboratory performs quantitative testing to monitor the effects of various de-sensitization protocols (IVIg, Plasmapheresis, Rituximab) on the production/circulation of anti-HLA antibodies.
Virtual Crossmatch service is offered for highly sensitized patients awaiting Heart or Lung transplantation. Virtual crossmatch enables the identification of suitable donors without the need of prospective crossmatch testing.
Bone Marrow Transplantation
Pre-Transplant
Pre-Transplant testing includes High Resolution HLA typing of patients and potential donors. An assessment of HLA matching is performed in both the Host-vs-Donor and Graft-vs-Host direction. High Resolution HLA Typing is performed using Sequence-Based Typing (SBT) methodology.
Post-Transplant
Engraftment Monitoring (Chimerism) testing is performed to assess the % of donor engraftment. Engraftment testing utilizes PCR of microsatellite markers, also known as short tandem repeats (STRs).
Specialized Testing/Service
Lineage Specific Analysis (LSA) is available to assess engraftment of cell subsets such as T Cell (CD3+), B Cell (CD19+), Lymphoid (CD3+/CD19+), Myeloid (CD33+) cells. Custom LSA testing is also available, contact the lab directly.
Disease Associations
A number of HLA alleles are associated with a variety of diseases. The Immunogenetics Laboratory performs HLA antigen/allele specific testing for the following diseases/conditions:
- Abacavir Hypersensitivity: HLA-B*5701
- Ankylosing Spondylitis: HLA-B27
- Behcet’s Disease B5(51,52)
- Celiac Disease: DQA1, DQB1
- Diabetes: DRB1, DQA1, DQB1
- Narcolepsy: DQA1, DQB1
- Psoriasis: HLA-Cw6
Please refer to the Diagnostic Tests section for detailed descriptions of specimen collection and handling requirements.
Location and Hours
Location
Room 1207, Abramson Research Building
Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m
On-call 24 hrs/day, 7 days/week
Contact Us
- (215) 590-5648
- Contact Us Online