What is it about?

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a rare complication of solid organ transplantation, but occurs in 8-10% of recipients of a multivisceral transplant. Published data on how to look after patients with GVHD is conflicted, especially with regards to how to manage immunosuppression during this time. We show that reducing immunosuppression , at least initially, is associated with a better outcome and resolution of the GVHD.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

GVHD is a serious complication of multivisceral transplantation. The information contained in this publication should help clinicians looking after patients with this problem.

Perspectives

I find the prospective monitoring of peripheral T cell chimerism, which we describe in this article, is very useful in managing my patients. Peripheral T cell chimerism is a reflection of the proportion of cells of the immune system circulating in blood which originate from the donor and from the recipient. If there is a large proportion of donor white blood cells in blood, the patient may be at risk of GVHD

Dr Lisa M Sharkey
Cambridge University Hospital

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Graft versus host disease after multivisceral transplantation: A UK center experience and update on management, Clinical Transplantation, April 2018, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/ctr.13239.
You can read the full text:

Read

Contributors

The following have contributed to this page