Successful treatment of transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease.
We present an immunocompetent patient with transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in which chimaerism of peripheral blood lymphocytes was demonstrated by analysis of a highly polymorphic genome. The patient was treated successfully with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, OKT3 and cyclosporin A. Although it is undoubtedly important to prevent transfusion-associated GVHD by irradiation of cellular blood components, intensive therapy with OKT3 and cyclosporin A in the early phase of onset may be effective for treatment of this potentially fatal condition. The mechanism of the effectiveness of this treatment for transfusion-associated GVHD is discussed.
Yasukawa
M
M
First Department of Internal Medicine, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.
Shinozaki
F
F
Hato
T
T
Takada
K
K
Ishii
Y
Y
Tamai
T
T
Takamatsu
H
H
Shiobara
S
S
Yoshizaki
K
K
Fujita
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001483:Base Sequence; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D018183:Transplantation Chimera / Q000235:genetics
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006680:HLA Antigens; D016572:Cyclosporine; D004247:DNA