Explain the role of the laboratory professional in stem cell transplantation

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: The role of the laboratory professional is inherent in all phases of testing for stem cell transplant:
Pretransplant testing:
 HLA compatibility testing
 ABO compatibility testing (if needed)
 Absolute neutrophil count (CBC) for chemotherapy dosage
Peritransplant testing:
 Apheresis of stem cells
 WBC/MNC counts
 CD34 enumeration by flow cytometry
 Processing and cryopreservation of stem cells
 Bacterial, viral, fungal cultures
 Cell cultures for enumeration of CFUs
Post-transplant testing:
 Short-term engraftment  CBC
 Long-term engraftment  chimerism studies
 Investigation of possible complications