What is Graft-versus-host disease?

What is Graft-versus-host disease?

• Graft-versus-host disease: A disease characterised by an immune response as a result of a transplantation or transfusion resulting in a widespread systemic inflammatory response.
• Graft-versus-host disease: An incompatibility reaction (which may be fatal) in a subject (host) of low immunological competence (deficient lymphoid tissue) who has been the recipient of immunologically competent lymphoid tissue from a donor who lacks at least one antigen possessed by the recipient host; the reaction, or disease, is the result of action of the transplanted cells against those host tissues that possess the antigen not possessed by the donor. Seen most commonly following bone marrow transplantation, acute disease is seen after 5-40 days and chronic disease weeks to months after transplantation, affecting, principally, the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and skin.
  Source - Diseases Database

Graft-versus-host disease is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Graft-versus-host disease, or a subtype of Graft-versus-host disease, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Source - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Ophanet, a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Graft-versus-host disease as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet

Name and Aliases of Graft-versus-host disease

Main name of condition: Graft-versus-host disease

Graft vs host disease

GVHD Source - Diseases Database

Graft vs host disease
Source - Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Types of Graft-versus-host disease:

Parent types of Graft-versus-host disease: Bizarre medical conditions

How serious is Graft-versus-host disease?

Complications of Graft-versus-host disease: see complications of Graft-versus-host disease

What causes Graft-versus-host disease?

Causes of Graft-versus-host disease: see causes of Graft-versus-host disease
Risk factors for Graft-versus-host disease: see risk factors for Graft-versus-host disease

How is it treated?

Treatments for Graft-versus-host disease: see treatments for Graft-versus-host disease
Research for Graft-versus-host disease: see research for Graft-versus-host disease