Department of Immunohematology

The department's work is divided into two parts:

• routine part – Department of Immunohematology with local competence
• specialized part with national and international competence – NRL for Immunohematology

The Department of Immunohematology is engaged in basic immunohematology testing of blood donors of the local Transfusion Department.

Routine pretransfusion testing is performed for patients of the IHBT Clinical Division or, as the case may be, for patients of pediatric hematology of the University Hospital in Motol.

For patients who have created antibodies, their specificity is determined, erythrocytes or, as the case may be, thrombocytes are typed for the administration of the optimal blood product to these sensibilized individuals.

Chimerism of erythrocytes after bone marrow transplantation is monitored, particularly in view of a timely detection of the recipient’s blood group change to the donor’s blood group – again for the administration of the correct blood product to these patients.

The department also detects or, as the case may be, specifies thrombocytic and leukocytic antibodies in patients where the cause of a low number of these elements is looked for.

In the framework of the TRALI prevention, screening is carried out for HLA antibodies in blood donors of the IHBT Division of Transfusiology. Furthermore, serological tests are performed for detecting the antibody associated with HIT type II (anti-heparin/PF4).

The NRL for Immunohematology performs the most challenging immunohematological tests while addressing complicated cases of antibodies and antigens sent to the laboratory from the whole Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.

The Department of Immunohematology is involved in research projects (IHBT Research Plan, BloodGen consortium). Its staff members are also engaged in pregraduate teaching in immunohematology (in the framework of the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Hematology) and in postgradual courses (Institute for Postgraduate Medical Education – Czech abbreviation: IPVZ, NCONZO), and at the same time they enhance their qualification by taking part in training activities or PhD studies.