Welsh Transplantation and Immunogenetics Laboratory
This site provides information on the Welsh Transplantation and Immunogenetics Laboratory’s services supplied for the medical and scientific community around the world largely for the benefit of patients requiring an organ or bone marrow transplant.
The Welsh Transplantation and Immunogenetics Laboratory (WTAIL) was founded in 1974 within the Welsh Blood Service. The service is located near the village of Pontyclun a few miles to the north west of Cardiff, Wales' capital.
The Welsh Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Service (WHAIS), together with the Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry (WBMDR), form the Welsh Transplantation and Immunogenetics Laboratory (WTAIL) and hosts the UK National External Quality Assessment Services for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (UK NEQAS for H&I).
Welsh Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Service (WHAIS)
WHAIS provides Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (H & I) support to a variety of health care providers ranging from specialist transplant units to General Practitioners. This service is critical to both solid organ and blood stem cell transplant programmes. The services provided include: HLA typing, patient/donor crossmatching, HLA antibody testing, solid organ and stem cell donor/recipient matching, platelet typing and platelet antibody testing. Our staff work closely with clinicians in the management of solid organ transplant, blood stem cell transplant and thrombocytopenic patients.
WHAIS is a UKAS accredited Medical laboratory No.9326 (ISO 15189:2012). The full schedule of accreditation may be viewed at UKAS Schedule of Accreditation.
To find out more about our services please see our latest User Guide. For further information on H&I tests please contact us or visit Lab Tests Online.
Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry (WBMDR)
The WBMDR oversees the recruitment, HLA typing, donor searching and haemopoietic stem cell (HSC) donation procurement for patients in the UK and overseas.
Registering as a bone marrow donor can be done either at the point of whole blood donation, or via the Bone Marrow Donation website. Completion of a short questionnaire is required and a self administered DNA swab kit will be sent to the applicant.
UK National External Quality Assessment Service for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (UK NEQAS for H&I)
UK NEQAS for H&I provides a comprehensive range of External Quality Assessment (EQA) Schemes for laboratories operating clinical histocompatibility and immunogenetics (H&I) services. The EQA Service includes provision of material, results analysis, performance criteria and, if required, professional support for laboratories in the UK and overseas. More information can be found via the UK NEQAS for H&I website.