Post-Stem Cell Transplant Chimerism Monitoring (Accredited)

Chimerism analysis is an integral tool for the monitoring of donor engraftment following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. It enables early detection of relapse/loss of engraftment and allows pre-emptive therapeutic intervention. Quantitative molecular analysis of donor and recipient derived cells utilises polymorphic markers, usually Short Tandem Repeats (STRs), small insertions and deletions (InDels) or Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), analysed via capillary electrophoresis, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), digital PCR (dPCR) or next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. This programme is applicable to all such techniques.  Participants are provided with fresh peripheral blood that represents donor, recipient and post SCT samples, and asked to submit % donor engraftment together with details of the methodology used.

The Post SCT Chimerism Monitoring Programme operates with five trial issues per year, each consisting of four samples (1x donor, 1x recipient and 2x post SCT/trial issue). This is to ensure adherence to the European Federation of Immunogenetics (EFI) Standards for Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics Testing, v8.0 (01.01.2020), in which standard D1.5.1.11mandates ‘10 [EQA] tests of different donor/recipient mixtures in the range 0% - 100%, excluding the reference donor and recipient samples’ per annum.

Trials for this programme are live/open for a minimum of 4 weeks.

Please Note: Trials issued/closing in August or December are extended by 1 week.

An automated email is sent 2 days prior to the trial closing, to any participant that has not returned results, warning them of the trial closure date. 

Post-closure testing of samples for this programme is subcontracted, although the final decision about sample suitability lies with the EQA provider; no other activities in relation to this EQA programme are subcontracted.

To register for this programme, please click here.