How Common Is Acute GVHD?
- Occurs in about 30% to 40% of patients who receive cells from a related donor
- Occurs in about 50% of patients who receive cells from an unrelated donor
Intended for US residents only
Signs and Symptoms of Graft-versus-Host Disease
Skin
Liver
Stomach
Intestines
Eyes
Mouth and Throat
Nervous System
Lungs
Digestive System
Genitals
Skin, Nails, and Hair
Joints and Muscles
Contact your transplant team right away if you notice any of these signs or symptoms or if new ones develop after you start treatment. Early diagnosis and intervention are important!
Acute GVHD is primarily an inflammatory reaction, set off by the new immune cells from your donor (the graft) that are now inside your body (the host). The irradiation and chemotherapy (called conditioning) that you receive before transplant can also set the stage for inflammation.
Among those donor cells you receive are certain white blood cells known as T cells. Their job is to help keep you healthy by traveling through your body’s lymph system and blood like a special forces unit, patrolling for foreign invaders that they are designed to watch out for and destroy.
There are two types of T cells. Killer T cells do the work of attacking and destroying cells they’ve identified as intruders that don’t belong there. Helper T cells interact with killer T cells to help them carry out their job.
Some helper T cells migrate to target tissues and help coordinate the attack. They send out chemical messages to help the activated killer T cells and others make lots of copies of themselves, so they build up a stronger army for their attack.
This is the same way your body typically reacts to fight off an infection that your immune system identifies. With acute GVHD, however, it’s the T cells that originated from your donor that sometimes see your own healthy cells as the foreign invaders they need to get rid of.
Did You Know?
Acute GVHD mostly targets the skin, gastrointestinal system, and liver because these organs have the body’s highest percentage of cells that help activate the body’s protective immune responses.
How Common Is Acute GVHD?
Near the end of my 6 weeks in the hospital (post-transplant), I developed a rash that started on my hands and went up my arm. They were pretty sure it was acute GVHD, and a biopsy confirmed it. I thought, no, not GVHD! But the doctor said it’s okay....It helped me relax considerably to realize we caught it very early and there are things you can do to fight GVHD.
Linda S.
2017 transplant recipient