Transfusion associated graft versus host disease.

Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GVHD) is a dreaded complication in immunocompromized hosts. The diagnosis is often delayed because of lack of awareness and the non-specific clinical features. More than 90% patients succumb to refractory infections. The only effective preventive measure is administration of irradiated blood products, which must be made available in centers managing immunocompromised patients. We report three cases and discuss pathophysiology and preventive strategies in this communication.

[1]  C. Parshuram,et al.  Transfusion-associated graft versus host disease , 2002, Pediatric critical care medicine : a journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies.

[2]  A. Narang,et al.  Post-transfusion graft versus host disease - an under recognized entity. , 2001, Indian pediatrics.

[3]  K. C. Anderson,et al.  Survey of transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease in immunocompetent recipients. , 1996, Transfusion medicine reviews.

[4]  W. Flegel,et al.  Transfusion‐associated graft‐versus‐host disease: risk due to homozygous HLA haplotypes , 1995, Transfusion.

[5]  S. Fujita,et al.  Successful treatment of transfusion‐associated graft‐versus‐host disease , 1994, British journal of haematology.

[6]  J. Szer,et al.  Transfusion associated graft-versus-host disease after cardiac surgery: response to antithymocyte-globulin and corticosteroid therapy. , 1991, Australian and New Zealand journal of medicine.

[7]  H. Pitt,et al.  Severe graft-versus-host disease in a liver-transplant recipient. , 1988, The New England journal of medicine.

[8]  C. R. Pinkerton,et al.  Intensive consolidation chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (UKALL X pilot study). , 1987, Archives of disease in childhood.

[9]  T. Grogan,et al.  Graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR). A case report suggesting GVHR occurred as a result of maternofetal cell transfer. , 1975, Archives of pathology.