Fine typing for a patient inquiry
If you are shortlisted as a lifesaver for a specific patient, we need your support asap.
In our search for a donor that matches a patient, we may ask you for more information about further HLA characteristics as well as other parameters relevant for matching a donor and patient. That is something we may need to do, for example, if your tissue characteristics largely correspond with those of the patient and you have been registered with us for a long time. Where this is the case, we will need you to undergo further typing to find out if your profile really is the perfect match for the patient.
To fill you in on the background: in their search for the “perfect match”, scientists are continuing to discover more genetic characteristics that can have a positive impact on transplant outcomes if they match closely between donor and recipient. The same is true for infection markers, such as CMV status (Cytomegalovirus is a common virus that is usually harmless to a healthy person), which can also play a crucial part in the outcome of a stem cell transplant.
Over the last few years, lab methods and evaluation processes have improved considerably.
So your typing profile may not include all the information that is needed to match a patient profile by today’s standards.
If you are affected, we will ask you to:
- Fill out a health questionnaire
- Provide a sample using a cheek swab, and/or
- Provide a blood sample (in rare cases)
Thank you for your support!
If you have any questions, please send an email to bmt@dkms-africa.org or alternatively, give us a call on 0800 12 10 82. Lines are open Monday – Friday, 08:30 – 16:30.
