The Immunology Service based in Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, is a regional consultant led diagnostic and clinical immunology service. We provide testing for general immunology including allergy and protein chemistry. Cellular immunology performs investigation of patients whom there is a clinical suspicion of cellular immune system dysfunction (analysis of lymphocyte numbers and function)
The Clinical Immunology and Allergy unit is based in the Beckett Wing at St. James’ University Hospital and provides a regional clinical service for primary immunodeficiency and allergy.
Clinical Immunology is based at the Leeds General Infirmary and provides testing related to autoimmunity, allergy, immunochemistry and antibody deficiency and Myeloma screening.
Open 8:30am to 5:00pm
Monday to Friday
Cellular Immunology is based at St James’s University Hospital and provides immune monitoring and tests of cellular immune function.
Open 8:30am to 5:00pm
Monday to Friday
Laboratory Addresses
Clinical Immunology Laboratory
Old Medical School
Great George Street
Leeds General Infirmary
Leeds LS1 3EX
Cellular Immunology
Level 09
Gledhow Wing
ST James’s University Hospital
Leeds LS9 7TF
Laboratory Contact Details
Laboratory Enquiries (Clinical Immunology) 0113 392 2587
(Cellular Immunology) 0113 2065418
Autoantibody Laboratory 0113 392 3540
Proteins/Allergy Laboratory 0113 392 3414
Consultant Immunologist and Head of Service
Dr S Savic
0113 206 5567
Consultant Immunologist
Dr G Arumugakani
0113 206 5526
Operational Lead
Katherine Cullen
0113 392 3181
[email protected]
Clinical Immunology Useful Information
The majority of tests for general immunology, allergy and protein chemistry in adult patients can be performed on a single 4ml clotted blood sample collected in a gel clotted tube (please refer to Tests and Tubes for sample requirements). In cases of difficulty with paediatric samples please discuss with the laboratory. It may be possible to use smaller sample volumes.
Particular care is required in taking samples for the investigation of cryoglobulinaemia or for tryptase determination – please refer to specific policies below.
Samples from the St James’s site should be sent to Pathology Specimen Reception where they will be transported to the LGI for testing. Outside trusts should send serum samples by courier or by first class mail to the Pathology Laboratory at the Old Medical School, Leeds General Infirmary.
On the request form, please include sufficient clinical detail in addition to patient’s name, hospital number, date of birth, ward and sex to enable meaningful interpretation of results. Hazardous samples which pose a risk to laboratory staff must be clearly identified with a ‘danger of infection’ sticker.
Test Limitations
Key factors which are known to affect the performance of the test or the interpretation of the results:
- Grossly lipemic, haemolysed or microbially contaminated samples may give poor results for all assays performed in Immunology
- More detailed information on specific tests can be found on Tests and Tubes
Requesting additional tests
If clinically indicated additional tests may be performed. Samples are held in cold storage in the department for 7 days. Some labile assays must be performed on samples stored frozen, please refer to the Tests and Tubes database. If you wish to request any additional tests to samples already received by the laboratory, please contact the lab on 0113 3923414.
Patient Consent
For samples received into the Immunology laboratory and for those when referral is needed it is a requirement that there is patient consent to disclose clinical information and family history to relevant healthcare professionals as required for the purposes of diagnosis and patient management. On receipt of samples for testing the Immunology laboratory assumes that this consent has been given.
Specific requesting procedures / request forms
All Immunology tests should be requested through the Leeds ICE system. Manual requests may be accepted in certain circumstances, please contact the lab. All external requests should be fully labelled according to the Pathology Labelling Policy.
Samples received without a complete Diagnostic and Advisory Service for Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) referral form will not be referred for this test. Samples will be retained in the Immunology Laboratory.
Cellular Immunology Useful Information
The Cellular Immunology laboratory provides the following testing
- Regional CD4 monitoring service
- Diagnosis and monitoring of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies
- CD34 stem cell enumeration (for HSCT only)
All patients with suspected primary immunodeficiency should be referred to the Immunology service.
Lymphocyte Surface Marker Analysis
In suspected primary immunodeficiency: if possible please ensure that a full blood count is performed simultaneously. In paediatric samples where volume is a problem, please send EDTA sample to the laboratory who will arrange testing for a full blood count. All requests for lymphocyte surface marker analysis, other than for HIV monitoring, should be discussed with an Immunology consultant.
In HIV monitoring: please ensure that a full blood count is performed simultaneously. This test is indicated in the monitoring of HIV infection. The use of CD4 counts as a surrogate marker for the diagnosis of HIV infection is unhelpful. A low CD4 count is not diagnostic of HIV infection, occuring in a wide variety of other conditions (e.g. primary immunodeficiency, viral and bacterial infection, lupus, steroid therapy).
In CD34 stem cell enumeration: used for HSCT donor monitoring only.
Neutrophil Function
All patients requiring neutrophil function should be referred to the Consultant Immunologists.
Functional Cellular Studies
All patients requiring functional cellular studies should be referred to the Consultant Immunologists.
Functional Cellular assays are strictly by prior arrangement only.
ferral form will not be referred for this test. Samples will be retained in the Immunology Laboratory.