Immunology and HLA
Overview
The Clinical Immunology and HLA Immunogenetics Laboratory at HUP is one of the leading laboratories in the United States providing testing and consultation for the management of immunological diseases and for support of solid organ and bone marrow transplantation. It utilizes state-of-the-art technology with a comprehensive quality assurance program to ensure accuracy in testing. The laboratory also serves as a reference lab for HLA testing in the greater Philadelphia area.
Specific tests and consultative services are available for the diagnosis of a variety of diseases, supporting clinical programs in a broad range of immune-mediated diseases, including:
• Autoimmune diseases including autoimmune encephalopathy
• Immunodeficiency syndromes
• Infectious diseases
• Cytokine release syndromes
• Multiple myeloma and monoclonal gammopathy
• Multi-organ transplant programs (Kidney, Pancreas, Heart and Lung) and Islet Cell transplantation program
• Autologous and the allogeneic bone marrow/hematopoietic cell transplantation program and cord blood transplantation
• Kidney paired donation, also referred to as live donor paired exchange
• 24-hour emergency HLA testing for cadaveric donors to support the multi-organ transplant programs
• Donor selection for platelet support
• HLA associated diseases and drug hypersensitivity reactions
• Immune mechanistic studies in clinical trials
• Tumor and infectious disease vaccine development
• Immune monitoring for transplantation, and immunosuppressive therapy
• Biological specimen storage including RNA, DNA and cryopreservation of mononuclear cells
Highlights
• HLA genomics using Next Generation Sequencing for personalized medicine in areas of clinical transplantation, HLA associated disease, drug hypersensitivity reaction/pharmacogenomics, and vaccine studies
• Panel of autoantibody testing in autoimmune encephalopathy: glutamate receptors type (NMDA, AMPA), GABAb receptors, voltage-gated calcium channel associated proteins (LGI1, CASPR2) and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) for early diagnosis and disease management
• QuantiFERON–TB Gold assay for screening of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
• Luminex cytokine assays to evaluate and monitor patients with possible cytokine release syndrome