Histocompatibility testing
The national HLA laboratory, functioning at the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, has a long history in Finnish transplant operations. All histocompatibility testing for organ and stem cell transplantation in Finland has been performed at the Blood Service since 1965. For the purpose of organ transplantation, our laboratory is on-call around the clock. Centralised operations and storage of samples enable on-call testing and urgent further examinations.
Histocompatibility tests that are carried out in the Blood Service are
- Testing relating to organ transplantation
- Tests relating to stem cell transplantation
- HLA disease association studies and HLA pharmacogenetic testing
- Histocompatibilitytesting in connection with fertility treatments
Tissue transplant operations include such key tests as HLA typing and leukocyte antibody screening and crossmatching. Based on the test results, a statement on the compatibility between the donor and the patient is given. Our test range includes HLA disease association studies and HLA pharmacogenetic testing.
The tests are accredited by the FINAS accreditation service (Test laboratory T119, accreditation requirement SFS-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017, SFS-EN ISO 15189:2013) and by the European Federation for Immunogenics (EFI). The tests can be found in the examination guidebook (FI).
Our team of experts gives clinical and genetic consultation on any issues related to histocompatibility. Our expertise on the special features of the Finnish population can be used for finding suitable donor candidates already in the early stages of the donor search. In addition to our extensive national networks, our experts actively participate in Nordic and European co-operation within the field of transplantation.