Juliet Cohen

Graft versus host disease

GVHD but at the cost of graft failure and loss of the graft-versus-leukemia reaction.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common side effect of an allogeneic bone marrow or cord blood transplant (also called a BMT). An allogeneic transplant uses blood-forming cells donated by a family member, unrelated donor or cord blood unit. GVHD occurs when immunocompetent cells react against an immunocompromised host. Removal of T cells from the hematopoietic inoculum can prevent

In GVHD, the immune cells from the donated marrow or cord blood harass the body of the transplant patient (the host). GVHD can affect various different parts of the body. The skin, eyes, stomach and intestines are affected most often. The goal of treatment is to suppress the immune response without damaging the new marrow. Medicines commonly used include methotrexate and cyclosporine, either alone or in combination. Using drugs to prevent GVHD you will be given drugs to help prevent GVHD.

These drugs work well for many patients. Some examples of drugs often used for this include cyclosporine and methotrexate. High-dose corticosteroids are the most effective treatment for acute GVHD. The corticosteroids used to treat GVHD will weaken your immune system. (The GVHD itself also weakens your immune system.) That puts you at a higher risk for getting an infection. Treatment of chronic GVHD includes prednisone with or without cyclosporin (an immune suppressant).

If these medicines do not work, experimental treatments are the only option. Before a transplant, your blood type and tissue type will be carefully matched with eligible donors. This matching will reduce the risk of GVHD. Using umbilical cord blood after a cord blood transplant fewer patients get GVHD and those who do tend to get less severe GVHD. Successful treatment of GVHD does not guarantee that the bone marrow transplant itself will succeed in treating the original disease.

Article Tags: Tran Lant

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR