Histocompatibility Lab

Significant and diverse support is provided to the Transplant Program by the Department of Pathology at University Hospital. Key to this effort is the University Hospital Histocompatibility Laboratory.

The HLA Laboratory is fully accredited by the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) and UNOS.

Since 1971, it has provided the complete range of histocompatibility services to virtually all of the health care institutions of the Central New York Community, including HLA typing, cytotoxic antibody screening and identification, crossmatching of solid organ recipients, mixed lymphocyte cultures and mitogen proliferation assays and paternity testing. HLA-Dr typing by DNA is also available.

Since crossmatching of the potential kidney or kidney-pancreas recipients with the donor organ in a timely manner is essential to the successful outcome of any transplant, the HLA lab provides 24 hour/day coverage. The time our laboratory requires to complete typing is one of the shortest for HLA laboratories in the country. Utilization of the most current protocols and procedures as well as established communication at all times between the HLA laboratory, Transplant Donor Services, and the Transplant Program Surgeons, allows the Transplant Program to provide the best level of immunological support for our patients.

The HLA laboratory also provides support for the hospital's Bone Marrow Transplant Program and serves as a reference laboratory for the American Red Cross Blood Services. The Clinical Immunology Laboratory provides testing of all organ donors for serologically transmissible diseases. The staff of experienced on call technologists can, in less than three hours, complete the battery of necessary tests to preclude the transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B or other infectious diseases to the transplant recipient, facilitating the recovery of organs for our program and others.

The Clinical Chemistry section assays the levels of cyclosporine and tacrolimus, assisting the monitoring of these immunosuppressive agents by the Transplant Program Team. Many other sections of Pathology are readily available to provide diagnostic and consultative services for the Transplant Program.