NRL for Immunohematology

This laboratory performs the most challenging immunohematological tests in addressing difficult cases of blood typing, pretranfusion tests and tests of antibodies for all laboratories in the Czech and Slovak Republic. It also addresses difficult cases of immunohematological complications in pregnancy. Immunohematological diagnostics have been expanded to include molecular biological methods, among them genotyping of blood groups with the help of microarrays (BloodChip).

The laboratory keeps a bank of rare frozen erythrocytes and antibodies (as a member of the SCARF international exchange group). The laboratory also coordinates the National Registry of Rare Blood Donors. It cooperates with the frozen rare blood bank kept in the Military University Hospital in Prague. It contributes to the International Rare Donor Registry in Bristol, UK. It also has direct computer access to this registry with a possibility of coordinating the acquisition of suitable transfusion agents. It collaborates with the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory in Bristol and a number of other world immunohematological centres in verifying unusual findings.

The laboratory validates newly introduced reagents and systems for determining blood characteristics and antibodies.

Samples are prepared and supervision is performed over the system of external quality control of immunohematological tests in the Czech Republic (with foreign involvement – Slovak Republic, Russia) – SEKK Immunohematology cycles. Furthermore, the laboratory tests thrombocytic, granulocytic and HLA antibodies and after that it types thrombocytic antigens.