| The institute has several laboratories where research
and testing can be done. These are: -
NATIONAL HIV/AIDS REFERENCE LABORATORY
- Screening and Confirmation of HIV/AIDS Disease in individuals.
- Estimation of cells of Immune System to monitor disease status.
- Estimating the Volume of the Virus in the blood (Viral load).
- Identifying Opportunistic Infections.
- Research into Cost- Effective Intervention Strategies to stem
the spread of diseases and much more.
SEROLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY LABORATORY
- Screening for HIV antibodies (Rapid and ELISA methods)
- Confirmation of HIV-Serostatus (ELISA and Western Blot)
- Estimation of Serum Immuoglobulin levels (IgG, IgA, IgM)
- Estimation of responses of Iymphocytes to stimulation with mitogens
such as PHA, Con-A, pwm.
- Measurement of cytoxic T-cells ( c TKs).
- Automated estimation of CD4/CD8 cell levels.
- Flowcytometry
HAEMATOLOGY LABORATORY
- Capacity to establish levels of twelve haematological parameters
including Haemoglobin, Packed Cell Volume (PCV), White Blood Cell
Count (WBC), Differential Platelet Counts, Erythrocyte Sedimentation
Rate (ESR).
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY
- Measurement of biomedical profiles, including serum proteins,
(albumins, globulins), liver function test (Serum bilirubin, AST,
ALT, Alkaline phosphatase), gammas GT, blood sugar, plasma lipid.
(HDL, LDL), serum cholesterol, uric acid, kidney function tests
(Urea, Creatinine), and Cardiac enzymes (Creatine phosphokinase).
MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY
- Facilities for baseline microbiology including microscopy, culture
and sensitivity. Special microbiological techniques for research
investigations in fungal, bacterial and parasitic infections (tuberculosis,
Histoplasmosis, Candidiasis, Cryptococosis, Cryptosporidiasis).
VIROLOGY
- Facilities for virological investigations including measurement
of viral antigen (P24), determination of viral load levels through
the measurement of plasma RNA using the Polymerase Chain Reaction
Method (PCR),and HIV subtyping.
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