GVHD predictable!

The first time I talked about graft versus host disease (GVHD) here was around November 8th, 2004. GVHD is the donors cells attacking the patient after transplant..

The story at Reuters reports that a person with elevated levels of the protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) around day seven is most likely to develop GVHD according to the University of Michigan.

As many as half of the patients who undergo the procedure develop graft vs. host disease, with about 30 percent of transplant patients dying from it. It is a deadly condition in which transplanted immune cells attack the patient's skin, liver and gastrointestinal cells and ultimately can trigger a massive inflammatory reaction that can kill the patient.

Read the story via Reuters here.