Histocompatibility

The Histocompatibility Laboratory, under the lead of Catherine Gebhart, Ph.D. provides testing services to support solid organ and bone marrow transplant programs throughout the region. In addition, the laboratory provides state-of-art human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing to assist in assessment of disease associations and in a variety of medical situations, including platelet transfusion and drug sensitivity profiling.

A broad menu of HLA typing, HLA antibody screening, and lymphocyte crossmatching services are offered including:

• HLA-A, B, C, DR and DQ loci typing, using  molecular methods, ranging in resolution from low (antigen-level) to high (allele-level).
• HLA antibody identification and monitoring by solid phase Luminex methodology for antibodies to HLA-A, B, C, DR and DQ.
• Lymphocyte crossmatch by the complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) method as well as by flow cytometric methods.

The laboratory is accredited by the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI). Laboratory technologists are certified by the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP), including five who have earned the “Histocompatibility Specialist” designation (CHS) from American Board of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ABHI).