graftversushostsjukdom

Graft-versus-host disease, often abbreviated as GvHD, is a potentially serious complication that can occur after an allogeneic stem cell transplant. In this procedure, stem cells from a donor are infused into a recipient whose own bone marrow has been destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation. These donor stem cells, which are part of the donor's immune system, can recognize the recipient's body as foreign. When this happens, the donor immune cells, referred to as the graft, can attack the recipient's tissues, which is referred to as the host. This attack is what constitutes graft-versus-host disease.

GvHD can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms can range from mild rashes and diarrhea to severe organ damage. The severity of GvHD is categorized into acute and chronic forms. Acute GvHD typically appears within the first 100 days post-transplant, while chronic GvHD can develop later and persist for a longer duration.

The risk and severity of GvHD are influenced by several factors, including the degree of genetic similarity between the donor and recipient, the type of transplant, and the medications used to suppress the immune system. Treatment for GvHD usually involves immunosuppressive drugs to dampen the activity of the donor immune cells. While GvHD can be a significant challenge, it is also believed that the graft-versus-leukemia effect, where the donor cells also attack remaining cancer cells in the recipient, can contribute to the success of stem cell transplantation in treating certain blood cancers.