AN INVITRO PREDICTIVE TEST FOR CLINICAL GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE IN ALLOGENEIC BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

  • 1 February 1990
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 5  (2) , 105-109
Abstract
An in vitro skin explant model has been used in an attempt to predict the severity of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in HLA-identical donor-recipient pairs. The skin explant model involves the use of donor lymphocytes which have been sensitized against recipient lymphocytes in vitro and then co-cultured with the recipient''s skin. Thirteen patients were studied in a prospective manner and results from the skin explant model compared with the clinical status of the patient post-transplant showed good correlation (p<0.001). Results from T cell-depletion studies indicated a role for both CD4 and CD8 positive cells in GVHD. In conclusion the results confirmed that the skin explant assay is a useful and predictive test of GVHD in humans.