Laboratory Medicine Division
The Laboratory Medicine Division performs diagnostic tests for inpatients and outpatients at medical centers throughout the Delaware Valley and the United States. This Division includes laboratories that perform assays not readily available elsewhere including: tissue typing, laser-activated flow cytometry, molecular diagnosis and complete toxicology services.
The Laboratory Medicine Division has its origins in the William Pepper Laboratory, founded in 1895 as the first clinical laboratory in the United States.
Director
Irving Nachamkin, DrPH, MPH
Services
Chemistry Laboratory
This laboratory measures analytes in serum and
other body fluids and performs routine and
specific assays of proteins in serum, urine
and cerebrospinal fluid, with a special interest
in oligoclonal protein banding. The laboratory
handles rapid turnaround and stat requests.
Interim Director
Leslie Shaw, PhD
Clinical Microbiology
Laboratory
The Clinical Microbiology Laboratory offers a
variety of services related to the diagnosis
and treatment of infectious diseases using state-of-the-art
procedures. Areas of testing include bacteriology,
mycobacteriology, mycology, parasitology, virology
and antimicrobial susceptibility. The laboratory
also works closely with the Molecular Pathology
Laboratory in offering and developing molecular
based diagnostic tests for difficult to diagnose
infections.
Director
Paul H. Edelstein, MD
Coagulation Laboratory
The Coagulation Laboratory performs specialized
tests to diagnose platelet disorders and immune-mediated
thrombocytopenias, as well as routine assays.
Testing for Von Willebrand's disease includes
standard assays for factor VIII antigen, factor
VIIIC, and ristocetin co-factor, as well as assays
to differentiate types I and II. An assay for
lupus inhibitor is also available.
Director
Douglas B. Cines, MD
Endocrine Laboratory
The Endocrine Laboratory performs hormonal and
other assays using radioimmunoassays (RIA) and
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Of
special note are the fetal lung reactivity profiles
and alpha fetoprotein assays in serum and amniotic
fluid for neural tube defect screening and other
tumor markers.
Director
Stephen Master, MD, PhD
Flow Cytometry
The Flow Cytometry
Laboratory performs rapid identification and
quantification of subsets of cells using laser-activated
fluoresecent antibodies to cell surface markers.
Using up to eight different markers simultaneously,
abnormal populations of cells can be identified
with a high level of sensitivity to aid in the
diagnosis of leukemias and lymphomas. Other tests
offered include quantitation of CD4 T-cells for
monitoring of HIV, measurement of hematopoietic
stem cells, measurement of maternal-fetal bleed,
and evaluation of cellular subsets for immunodeficiency
diagnosis.
Director
Jonni Moore, PhD
Hematology Laboratory
The Hematology Laboratory performs routine hematologic
tests as well as specialized tests for identification
and quantification of normal hemoglobins and
the diagnosis and classification by cytochemical
staining of disorders of leukocytes and lymphoid
cells.
Director
Adam Bagg, MD
Hematopathology
A joint program with the Molecular Flow Cytometry
and Cytogenetics Laboratories permits evaluation
of lymphoid tissue biopsies. Lymphoid lesions,
both nodal and extranodal, are studied extensively
by means of immuno-peroxidase staining, flow
cytometry and cytogenetics.
Director
Mariusz A. Wasik, MD
Immunology Laboratory
This laboratory performs complete HLA typing
for transplantation, genetic mapping of disease,
and the exclusion of paternity; antibody screening
and compatibility testing for donor-recipient
matching prior to transplantation; and post-surgical
monitoring of the immune system.
Specific tests
and collaborative services are available for
the diagnosis of a variety of
autoimmune, connective tissue and neurological
diseases. Laser-activated flow cytometry coupled
with fluorescent tagged monoclonal antibodies
are used for the
determination of lymphocyte subsets in peripheral
blood and lymph nodes which express unique
antigenic structures on their surface that
are indicators of cell function. This procedure
is useful in diagnosis of disorders of immune
regulation.
Director
Malek Kamoun, MD, PhD
Molecular Pathology Laboratory
The Molecular Pathology Laboratory is a full-service
molecular diagnostic laboratory that performs
tests for a variety of clinical indications.
Applications include diagnosis, prenatal and/or
carrier testing of inherited disorders (including
spinal muscular atrophy, cystic fibrosis, heredity
predisposition to thrombosis (Factor V Leiden
and prothrombin mutations), and frontotemporal
dementia), diagnosis and monitoring of leukemias,
lymphomas, solid tumors, and infectious diseases
and for identity testing in certain situations.
Director
Vivianna M. Van Deerlin, MD, PhD
Toxicology Laboratory
This laboratory provides toxicology services
to area hospitals and applies mass spectroscopy
to enable rapid detection of a broader array
of toxic agents and drugs than possible with
less advanced technology. It also serves as a
reference laboratory in the Delaware Valley for
the monitoring of the antiarrhythmic drug amiodarone
and the immunosuppressant drug cyclosporine.
Infrared spectrophometry permits analysis of
renal calculi within 30 minutes. The Laboratory
provides an emergency toxicology service 24 hours
a day.
Director
Leslie M. Shaw, PhD
University of Pennsylvania Pathology Laboratories
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