kab1

We frequently did this in the Reference Laboratory where I was the Manager (but you have to include both a positive and a negative from the "gel" technique into the "tube" technique - or vice versa, to ensure that the "sensitivity" of both techniques, while not being necessarily identical, are reasonably close).

Can you convert the tube panel cells from 3% to 0.8% and test in gel?  We primarily do that to run selected cells that are not already diluted to 0/8%

We do that.  You could also use LISS (or PEG) to complement your SIAT.  Make it more sensitive. sandra

We will dilute the 3% to 0.8% and run in gel but with 40 min incubation.  We found when we validated the process, it was imperative that the cells be diluted according to Ortho's "recipe" to dilute cells.  While validating, we saw some false negatives when the dilution was "eyeballed" and/or when only incubated for 15 minutes. We might take to another media in certain cases, but PEG is our first choice....we will take to tube in a few situations...Patient on DARA, apparent antibody to gel itself or, antibody to preservative in gel cells (everything pos, auto neg).  In cases of the last scenario, we will often try diluting a 3% screen from a different manufacturer and run those cells in gel to see if it's the cells, or the gel.......usually if the AC is neg, it's the cells.
We are a large academic med ctr, and are the "reference" lab for other smaller sister hospitals so we do have the advantage of having access to screens and panels from multiple manufacturers.  

We use Ortho Panel A (gel) as our primary method; Immucor/Werfen panocell as supplement (diluting to 0.8% and using gel; will also use PEG/LISS IAT as warranted).  Additionally, we save a couple months worth of expired cells to use for selected cells, when our in-dated cells don't have the right antigen combo.