Diagnostic assays
The diagnostic assays of the LMI concern several areas (Immune deficiencies, Autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders, Allergic diseases, and Malignant hematological diseases) of the scope Medical Immunology, as defined nationally by the Raad voor Accreditatie (RvA).
The LMI is ISO 15189:2012 certified.
The LMI offers a broad spectrum of immunological tests, as can be seen on the following webpage:
Pre-analytical advising, analytical performance, and post-analytical consultation
Within the LMI there is ample immunological and technical knowledge, and expertise to optimally perform diagnostic laboratory tests for immunological diseases.
This concerns the analytical phase of the diagnostic process, based on extensive experience with serological, cellular, molecular and functional tests of immune parameters. Additionally, the LMI has an important contribution to clinical patient care via pre-analytical advising and post-analytical interpretation, reporting, and consultation.
All diagnostic results of the LMI are being reported to the clinician or the external laboratory, whenever relevant in combination with an interpretation of the results plus advice on possible next laboratory tests or repeated testing upon clinical need.
These reports are accessible via Elpado for internal requests (since may 2017: HiX) or are being sent (encrypted email, formal letter) to external parties.
Reference center
The LMI functions as reference center at the regional, national, or even international level for the following diagnostic tests:
Immune deficiencies
- Immunophenotyping of PID
(regional reference center; since 1991 and national-international reference center; since 1998) - PID gene diagnostics, esp. SCID and antibody deficiencies
(national / international reference center; since 1998)
Autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders
- Serological analysis of systemic auto-immune diseases
(national reference center; since 1990) - Serological analysis of paraneoplastic neuronal syndromes and autoimmune encephalitis (national reference center; since 1990)
- Immunophenotyping of interstitial lung disease (regional reference center; since 1990)
- Cytokine diagnosticsCytokine diagnostics (national reference center; since 2007)
Allergic diseases
- Immunophenotyping of mastocytosis (regional reference center; since 2001)
- Component-based allergy diagnostics (regional and national reference center; since 2011)
Malignant hematological diseases
- Immunophenotyping of hematological malignancies (incl. PNH)
(regional reference center; since 1985) - IG-TCR molecular clonality diagnostics
(regional and national reference center; since 1987) - Immunophenotyping of T-cell proliferations
(regional and national reference center; since 1998) - Molecular MRD diagnostics (pediatric ALL, adult ALL, CLL, NHL)
(national and international reference center; since 1998) - Immunophenotyping of intra-ocular lymphoma in vitreous
(regional and national reference center; since 2002) - IGHV somatic mutation analysis in CLL
(regional and national reference center; since 2002) Immunophenotypering of T-cell proliferation
Instrumentation
In the LMI the following instruments are available for routine diagnostics, diagnostic innovation, and translational research:
Serological assays
- Phadia-250 (n=2)
- Kryptor Compact Plus
- Evolis (n=2)
- ISAC biochip reader
- Luminex MagPIX (n=2)
Cellular and functional assays
- FACS Canto-II flowcytometers (n=4)
- Fortessa flowcytometer
Molecular assays
- QIACube DNA isolation system
- PCR instruments (ABI 2700 / 9700 / 9800) (n=6)
- qPCR instruments (Step One Plus: n=2; LC480: n=2)
- ABI 3130 XL sequencer
- EUROarray scanner