Graft versus host disease in intestinal transplantation.
Our aim was to analyze the clinical course and outcome of patients with graft vs. host disease (GVHD) after intestinal transplantation (ITx). All patients receiving ITx between May, 1990 and December, 2003 were retrospectively reviewed for evidence of GVHD. Two hundred and fifty patients underwent ITx during the study period. Graft vs. host disease was suspected clinically in 23 patients on the clinical basis of presentation such as skin rash, ulceration of oral mucosa, diarrhea, lymphadenopathy, or native liver dysfunction. Fourteen (eight children and six adults) patients (5.6% of total patient population) had GVHD confirmed by histopathological criteria including keratinocyte necrosis (n = 9), epithelial apoptosis of the native gastrointestinal tract (n = 4), and epithelial cell necrosis of oral mucosa (n = 1). Donor-cell tissue infiltration or extensive peripheral blood donor-cell chimerism was documented on seven occasions. The majority of cases of GVHD resolved with steroid administration and optimization of tacrolimus immunosuppression. The incidence of histologically proven GVHD after clinical intestinal transplantation is 6.5% (8/122) in children and 4.7% (6/128) in adults. Successful clinical management requires a high index of suspicion to minimize morbidity and mortality. Diagnostic and treatment strategies based on this experience are proposed.
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. mazarieg@pitt.edu
George V
GV
Mazariegos
Kareem
K
Abu-Elmagd
Ronald
R
Jaffe
Geoffrey
G
Bond
Rakesh
R
Sindhi
Lillian
L
Martin
Camila
C
Macedo
John
J
Peters
Alin
A
Girnita
Jorge
J
Reyes
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D007422:Intestines / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents