BloodCenter of Wisconsin Launches Erythroid Chimerism Test for Monitoring Transplanted Sickle Cell Disease Patients

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- BloodCenter of Wisconsin's Diagnostic Laboratories today announced the availability of an innovative Erythroid Chimerism test to monitor erythroid lineage chimerism in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. This allows the physician to directly gauge the success of the transplant in these patients and provides physicians with actionable information to guide patient care.

Sickle cell disease is a common and severe autosomal recessive disorder caused by a mutation in the hemoglobin gene. SCD affects approximately 100,000 people in the United States, one in every 300-500 African Americans. In SCD patients with severe clinical symptoms, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation can be used to replace the blood cell producing capacity, potentially curing them of the disease.1

In patients with SCD, several studies have demonstrated that standard chimerism assays do not always reflect chimerism in the erythroid lineage.2,3 Since red cells do not contain DNA, chimerism of the erythroid compartment can be monitored using HbA and HbS transcripts produced from the hemoglobin gene and expressed in red cell progenitors.

"Efficient and accurate monitoring for post-transplant therapy is critical in order to properly manage patient care," said Daniel Bellissimo, Ph.D., director of BloodCenter's Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory. "The addition of BloodCenter's Erythroid Chimerism test reflects its ongoing commitment to advancing patient care by providing physicians worldwide with leading-edge testing in the area of molecular testing."

BloodCenter's Diagnostic Laboratories help physicians provide clinical care to patients worldwide, fostering better understanding and treatment options for patients with difficult-to-diagnose diseases. In addition, the laboratories collaborate with other institutions and industry partners to bring new diagnostic testing and treatment options to patient care.

About BloodCenter of Wisconsin BloodCenter of Wisconsin is a not-for-profit organization that specializes in blood services, organ, tissue and marrow donation, diagnostic testing, medical services and leading-edge research. BloodCenter of Wisconsin is the only provider of blood to 56 hospitals in 29 Wisconsin counties as well as providing support to hospitals and patients across the country. BloodCenter of Wisconsin advances patient care by delivering life-saving solutions grounded in unparalleled medical and scientific expertise. For more information,visit http://www.bcw.edu.

References:

1) Bernaudin F., Socie G., Kuentz M., Chevret S., Duval M., Bertrand Y., et al. (2007) Long-term results of related myeloablative stem-cell transplantation to cure sickle cell disease. Blood 110: 27492756

2) Wu, Catherine, et al. Molecular assessment of erythroid lineage chimerism following nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Experimental Hematology (2003) 31: 924-933.

3) Andreanni, Marco et al. Quantitatively different red cell/ nucleated cell chimerism in patient with long-term, persistent hematopoietic mixed chimerism after bone marrow transplantation for thalassemia major or sickle cell disease. Haematologica (2011) 96:128-133.

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BloodCenter of Wisconsin Launches Erythroid Chimerism Test for Monitoring Transplanted Sickle Cell Disease Patients