Reliable Determination of Fetal RhD Status by RHD Genotyping from Maternal Plasma.

Background: Immunoprophylaxis with IgG anti-D is a standard prevention of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. Fetal Rhesus D (RhD) blood group genotyping from maternal plasma of RhD-negative pregnant women allows targeted prophylaxis with IgG anti-D in RhD-positive pregnancies only. We set up a reliable protocol for prenatal RHD genotyping.

Induction/engineering, detection, selection, and expansion of clinical-grade human antigen-specific CD8 cytotoxic T cell clones for adoptive immunotherapy.

Adoptive transfer of effector antigen-specific immune cells is becoming a promising treatment option in allogeneic transplantation, infectious diseases, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. Within this context, the important role of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) is objective of intensive studies directed to their in vivo and ex vivo induction, detection, selection, expansion, and therapeutic effectiveness. Additional questions that are being addressed by the scientific community are related to the establishment and maintenance of their longevity and memory state as well as to defining critical conditions underlying their transitions between discrete, but functionally different subtypes.

Telemedicine in the blood transfusion laboratory: remote interpretation of pre-transfusion tests.

We have developed a telemedicine system for blood transfusion work, to supply the local hospital laboratory with an expert opinion from the central reference laboratory. The telemedicine system allows remote inspection and interpretation of pre-transfusion tests, which are performed by ID-cards (micro-tube gel technology). The system was installed at three blood transfusion laboratories in Slovenia, approximately 70 km apart.

Rhd and C/cE/e genotyping in Slovenian population.

The Rhesus (Rh) blood group system is, after ABO, clinically most important. Alloantibodies directed against Rh antigens are the major cause of a haemolytic disease of newborn (HDN) and of transfusion reactions. In search for novel methods for Rh genotyping we started to compare Rh genotypes identified from different tissues and Rh phenotypes.

Rhd and C/cE/e genotyping in Slovenian population.

The Rhesus (Rh) blood group system is, after ABO, clinically most important. Alloantibodies directed against Rh antigens are the major cause of a haemolytic disease of newborn (HDN) and of transfusion reactions. In search for novel methods for Rh genotyping we started to compare Rh genotypes identified from different tissues and Rh phenotypes.