What is Graft-vs.-host disease ? & What are the types of Graft vs Host Disease (GVHD) ?
Graft-vs.-host disease is an immune attack on the recipient by cells from a donor
Graft versus host disease (GVHD) occurs when immunologically competent cells are introduced into an immunoincompetent host
The main problem with transplanting organs and tissues is that the recipient host does not recognize the new tissue as its own.
Instead, it attacks it as foreign in the same way it attacks germs, to destroy it.
If immunogenic cells from the donor are transplanted along with the organ or tissue, they will attack the host, causing graft vs. host disease.
The only transplanted tissues that house enough immune cells to cause graft vs. host disease are the blood and the bone marrow
TYPES OF GVHD include :
Acute GVHD occurs within the first 100 days of transplantation and consists of the triad of
–dermatitis,
–enteritis, and
–hepatitis.
Chronic GVHD develops after day 100 and consists of an autoimmune syndrome directed toward multiple organs.
Because the skin often is the earliest organ affected in GVHD, dermatologists are crucial members of the patient's treatment team.
