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SickKids

Bone Marrow Transplant Testing (BMT)

Alternate test name

Engraftment, BMT Monitoring 

Lab area
Genome Diagnostics - Molecular Genetics
Method and equipment
STR (short tandem repeat) analysis
Expected turn-around time
1-2 weeks
Specimen type

Blood; gDNA; bone marrow aspirate

For details about specimen requirements, please refer to: Specimen Type & Requirements.

Specimen requirements
  • Blood: 5-10 mL in EDTA, 0.5 mL in EDTA (neonate);
  • DNA-minimum 10 ug in 100 uL low TE (pH8.0)
Storage and transportation

Room Temperature

For details about specimen requirements, please refer to: Specimen Type and Requirements

Shipping information
The Hospital for Sick Children
Division of Genome Diagnostics
555 University Avenue, Black Wing, Room 3416
Toronto, ON
Canada
M5G 1X8
Phone: 416-813-7200 ext. 2
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Off hours: Please send to Rapid Response Laboratory, 555 University Avenue, Room 3642
Email Molecular Lab: molecular.lab@sickkids.ca
Email Cytogenetics: cytogenetics.requests@sickkids.ca
Background and clinical significance

Bone marrow transplantation is an important adjunct to therapy in a number of hematologic, oncologic and genetic/metabolic disorders. Following a bone marrow transplant or peripheral blood transfusion, patient hematopoietic and lymphoid cells are replaced by cells derived from the donor. The percentage of donor versus host cells is indicative of the success of the engraftment, and can be used to track, or characterize, the engraftment process. In order to define the percentage of cells from two different individuals, host and donor cells must be distinguished from each other. This is done by DNA fingerprinting. This analysis requires three specimens: 1) a source of DNA from the recipient before transplantation; 2) a source of DNA from the donor; and 3) a source of DNA from the recipient after transplantation (blood or bone marrow).

See related information sheet: Bone Marrow Transplant Testing (BMT)

Disease condition

Bone Marrow Transplant

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