A questionnaire Survey of HLA laboratories in Korea (2005)

Lim, Ji Hun; Hwang, Sang Hyun; Oh, Heung Bum

Abstract

BACKGROUND
As unrelated bone marrow transplantation is rapidly increasing and organ sharing network is becoming solidly instituted in Korea, it is getting more important to make standardization between laboratories performing human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing or crossmatch. By a questionnaire survey for the laboratories, we intended to make a basis for laboratory standardization in Korea. METHODS: The questionnaires were distributed to 59 HLA laboratories enrolled in the HLA quality assessment (QA) program in Korea and replies were obtained from 51 laboratories. The questionnaire items were slightly modified from those of the previous survey. RESULTS: Most of the HLA laboratories (49/51, 96.1%) belonged to the specialties of laboratory medicine and were small scale in the number of HLA technicians and the annual number of HLA tests. There were 49 laboratories that used DNA typing methods for HLA DR. Nine of 44 laboratories which reported to perform HLA crossmatch did not separate T and B lymphocytes. Three (6.8%) of 44 laboratories did not use more sensitive methods such as T-AHG, T-long or flowcytometric methods. There were 7 laboratories performing flowcytometric crossmatch. Some laboratories (19.6%, 9/46) stored complement at inappropriate temperature. Six of 11 laboratories which were requested to test PRA were performing PRA test by themselves. CONCLUSIONS: It is still problematic for some laboratories performing crossmatches not using more sensitive methods or separation of T and B lymphocyte and storing complement at an inappropriate temperature. A continuous effort for laboratory standardization should be needed.