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HLA Services
HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) Testing Services
FamilyCord proudly offers the convenience of fulfilling your HLA testing needs. We have the capability to perform HLA testing for multipurpose needs including: Cord Blood Typing, Potential Transplant Screening, and Confirmatory HLA Typing for Transplant Centers and Clinical Trials.
FamilyCord HLA typing includes serologic determination of antigens and molecular detection of alleles by DNA Sequence-Based Typing (SBT) to determine HLA-A and HLA-B (intermediate resolution) as well as HLA-DRB1 (high resolution) for our clients.
HLA Matching: Finding the Best Donor or Cord Blood Unit
HLA are proteins — or markers — found on most cells in your body. Your immune system uses these markers to recognize which cells belong in your body and which do not. HLA typing is used to match patients and donors for stem cell transplants. A well-matched HLA is important to the success of the stem cell transplant. A close match between HLA markers of the donor and recipient reduce the risk that the body’s immune cells will attack the donor stem cells.
In general, cord blood units are an excellent source of transplant stem cells since they have less stringent HLA matching criteria than bone marrow for transplant. Bone marrow transplants typically require a match of at least 8 of 10 of HLA markers (A, B, DRB1, as well as C and DQ). Cord Blood transplants require a match of only 4 of 6 markers for successful transplant outcomes (A, B, DRB1).
A. Shows all the baby’s cord blood markers are a perfect match for that child later in life. This 6 of 6 HLA match shows the perfect match of A, B and DRB1 (Cord Blood: 4 of 6 required). This could also be referred to as a 10 of 10 match because there is a match at A, B, DRB1, as well as C and DQ.
B. Shows a bone marrow where the HLA-A markers do not match. This bone marrow unit may be considered for a transplant since the unit was a 9 of 10 overall match (Bone Marrow: 8 of 10 required).