An organ type testing, otherwise called the tissue type test or HLA typing, is a blood screening process that helps identify antigens found in the body tissues and cells. When antigens are identified, it becomes easy to tell whether the donor is compatible for a transplant or determine the chances of a person developing autoimmune diseases, a condition where by the body attacks its cells.
Apart from identical twins who carry a similar pattern of antigens, everyone else has a unique pattern. Half of your present antigens come from your father, while the other half come from your mother. For brothers or sisters, the chances of having rhyming patterns are 1 in every 4.
During a tissue types test, experts use two primary antigens. Type 1 comes in three HLA types: HLA-C, HLA-B, and HLA-A found in similar blood cells. The class 11 has only a single class of antigens, the HLA-D, and is found on specified cells of the body.
Reasons for the Test
- To identify the people with high chances of contracting autoimmune diseases.
- To determine whether two individuals are related. The likelihood of being relatives of a given person is always high if your patterns match. The results are however not compulsory but can be of great importance during a paternity test.
- To determine the antigen pattern for certain donated tissues. If a transplant is to be successful, the patterns of the antigens with the donor has to match. This happens mostly when the organ comes from a very close relative.
Before any tissue or blood cell donation, doctors have to scrutinize your medical history widely. This includes your cancer status, risky behaviors, infections, exposure to toxins, drug use, and foreign travel, among others.
The most common purpose of the procedure is to help determine the compatibility of the tissue to be transplanted into the other person. If the patterns rhyme, then you are the best fit for the operation.
The test results can be compromised if the patient had a blood transfusion in the previous three days before conducting the test.