BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION IMMUNOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is concerned by immunology by a t least two aspects : the first one is the acceptance of the graft by the host and reciprocally and the second one is that it constitutes an unique human model of immune reconstitution. In this review of the im munological aspects, we deal with the selection of the bone marrow don or (related or not) especially on the base of HLA compatibility and th e graft - versus - host disease (GVH) with the clinical manifestations , the usual treatments, the supposed cellular mecanisms and the risk f actors of developing such complications. The graft versus leukemia eff ect (GVL) which may be linked to the GVH disease and the mecanisms of rejection and take of the graft are also reviewed as well as the immun e reconstitution following the immune deficiency due to the conditioni ng treatment and the occurence of a GVH disease.