Selection and recognition procedures
The selection procedure for the National Reference Centres (NRC) for Rare Diseases takes place every five years.
Call for application 2023:
Explanatory documents
CNR maladies rares-appel 2023-document explicatif.pdf
NRC zeldzame ziekten-oproep 2023-verklarend document.pdf
CNR MR Sessions information-NRC ZZ informatie sessies 02-2023.pdf
Application form
The laboratories concerned by this call for applications are laboratories of clinical pathology located in Belgium and licensed according to the Belgian Royal Decree published on 3 December 1999 and relating to the license of the Belgian laboratories of clinical pathology. A Belgian laboratory of clinical pathology is free to apply with one or several other Belgian academic research laboratory(ies) or Belgian laboratory(ies) of clinical pathology in the form of a consortium.
Sciensano carries out the call for applications and the evaluation of the applications within the framework of an agreement established with the INAMI-RIZIV.
The NRC for Rare Diseases are then officially recognised through an agreement established between each NRC and Sciensano.
Several aspects are evaluated during the selection procedure:
- The quality of the analysis: quality management system, validation of the analysis considered, participation to quality controls for the analysis considered, accreditation of the laboratory and analysis considered, the reporting of the results, the execution time (turnaround time).
- The medical and scientific expertise: fundamental, clinical and/or epidemiological research; scientific publications; participation in scientific projects, expertise and reference networks, multidisciplinary meetings; providing information to external audiences; organisation of specific trainings for the laboratory and hospital staff.
- The structure, organisation and sustainability of the activities.
Belgian royal decree for the NRC for Rare Diseases
Financing and follow-up
Sciensano reimburses the costs of the NRC for Rare Diseases related to the performance, participation to quality controls and accreditation of the analyses for which their expertise has been recognised, based on supporting documents, and through a budget envelope provided by the INAMI-RIZIV. Sciensano ensures the follow-up of the NRC “rare diseases” over time.
Current NRC for Rare Diseases and practical information
Assessment of plasmalogens in erythrocytes
UZ Gent
Dr. Hedwig Stepman
Request form for the assessment of plasmalogens in erythrocytes
Assessment of pterins in urine
UZ Gent*
Dr. Hedwig Stepman Pr. Dr. Alain Verstraete
*consortium with the CHU de Liège
Request form for the assessment of pterins in urine
Cytogenetic radiosensitivity assay
UZ Gent / UGent
Pr. Carolien Bonroy Pr. Anne Vral Pr. Ans Bayens
Request form for the cytogenetic radiosensitivity assay
Instructions for cytogenetic radiosensitivity assay
More info: Rare diseases or Radiobiology Research Group
Assessment of α-aminoadipic semialdehyde (α-AASA) in urine
UZ Antwerpen*
Dr. Laurence Roosens
*consortium with the Cliniques universitaires Saint Luc
Request form for the assessment of α-aminoadipic semialdehyde (α-AASA) in urine
Instructions for α-aminoadipic semialdehyde (α-AASA) in urine
Assessment of free erythrocyte protoporphyrins (FEP-test)
UZ Leuven
UZ Leuven
Pr. Pieter Vermeersch
Request form for the assessment of free erythrocyte protoporphyrins (FEP-test)
Instructions for free erythrocyte protoporphyrins (FEP-test)
LHUB-ULB
Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles — Université Libre de Bruxelles (LHUB-ULB)
Pr. Dr. Béatrice Gulbis Pr. Dr. Frédéric Cotton Dr. Fleur Wolff
Request form for the assessment of free erythrocyte protoporphyrins (FEP-test)
Instructions for free erythrocyte protoporphyrins (FEP-test)
Spectrofluorimetric assessment of porphyrins in plasma
UZ Leuven
UZ Leuven
Pr. Pieter Vermeersch
Request form for the spectrofluorimetric assessment of porphyrins in plasma
Instructions for spectrofluorimetric assessment of porphyrins in plasma
LHUB-ULB
Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles — Université Libre de Bruxelles (LHUB-ULB)
Pr. Dr. Béatrice Gulbis Pr. Dr. Frédéric Cotton Dr. Fleur Wolff
Request form for the spectrofluorimetric assessment of porphyrins in plasma
Instructions for spectrofluorimetric assessment of porphyrins in plasma
Assessment of intra-leukocyte cystine
Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc
Dr. Joseph Dewulf Dr. Sandrine Marie
Request form for the assessment of intra-leukocyte cystine
Assessment of δ1-piperideine-6-carboxylate (P6C) in plasma
Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc*
Dr. Joseph Dewulf Dr. Sandrine Marie
* consortium with the UZ Antwerpen
Request form for the assessment of δ1-piperideine-6-carboxylate (P6C) in plasma
Instructions for δ1-piperideine-6-carboxylate (P6C) in plasma
Assessment of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF) in cerebrospinal fluid
Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc
Dr. Joseph Dewulf Dr. Sandrine Marie
Request form for the assessment of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF) in cerebrospinal fluid
Instructions for 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF) in cerebrospinal fluid
Measurement of the dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) activity in Dried Blood Spots (DBS)
CHU de Liège*
Dr. François Boemer
* consortium with the UZ Gent
Instructions for dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) activity in Dried Blood Spots (DBS)
Assessment of the B6 vitamins in plasma
CHU de Liège
Dr. François Boemer
Request form for the assessment of the B6 vitamins in plasma
Assessment of porphobilinogen in plasma
Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles (LHUB-ULB)
Pr. Dr. Béatrice Gulbis Pr. Dr. Frédéric Cotton Dr. Fleur Wolff
Request form for the assessment of porphobilinogen in plasma
Fractionation of plasma porphyrins (confirmation test)
Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles (LHUB-ULB)
Pr. Dr. Béatrice Gulbis Pr. Dr. Frédéric Cotton Dr. Fleur Wolff
Request form for the fractionation of plasma porphyrins (confirmation test)
Instructions for fractionation of plasma porphyrins (confirmation test)
Analysis of the deformability of erythrocytes by osmotic gradient ektacytometry
Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles (LHUB-ULB)
Pr. Dr. Béatrice Gulbis Pr. Dr. Frédéric Cotton Dr. Anne-Sophie Adam
Request form for the analysis of the deformability of erythrocytes by osmotic gradient ektacytometry
Separation of red blood cells membrane proteins by SDS-PAGE
Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles (LHUB-ULB)
Pr. Dr. Béatrice Gulbis Pr. Dr. Frédéric Cotton Dr. Anne-Sophie Adam
Request form for the separation of red blood cells membrane proteins by SDS-PAGE
Immunological assessment of complement component Factor B
Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles (LHUB-ULB)
Pr. Francis Corazza Dr. Patrick Stordeur
cnr-nrc.complement@lhub-ulb.be
Request form for the immunological assessment of complement component Factor B
Immunological assessment of complement component Factor Bb
Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles (LHUB-ULB)
Pr. Francis Corazza Dr. Patrick Stordeur
cnr-nrc.complement@lhub-ulb.be
Request form for the immunological assessment of complement component Factor Bb
Immunological assessment of complement component Factor D
Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles (LHUB-ULB)
Pr. Francis Corazza Dr. Patrick Stordeur
cnr-nrc.complement@lhub-ulb.be
Request form for the immunological assessment of complement component Factor D
Immunological assessment of complement component Factor P
Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles (LHUB-ULB)
Pr. Francis Corazza Dr. Patrick Stordeur
cnr-nrc.complement@lhub-ulb.be
Request form for the immunological assessment of complement component Factor P
Contact
Scientific manager
Nathalie Vandevelde
+32 2 642 55 89
nathalie.vandevelde@sciensano.be
Other contacts
Ynse Van de Maele
+32 2 642 55 24
ynse.vandemaele@sciensano.be
Secretary
+32 2 642 55 22
QL_secretariat@sciensano.be
Rue Juliette Wytsman 14 • 1050 Brussels