SIMPLE DIAGNOSIS OF GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE

Background: Among patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplan tation. we previously detected an increase of CD8+S6F1+ and CD8+CD57- cells with the onset of acute graft-versus-host disease. Objective: Th is study was an attempt to develop a simple laboratory test for graft- versus-host disease. Methods: we analyzed the percentage of the two ly mphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy volunteers, patients with posttransfusion graft-versus-host disease, a nd recipients of allogeneic bone marrow transplants. Results: Two pati ents with posttransfusion graft-versus-host disease showed a high perc entage of both subsets. When graft-versus-host disease pattern was def ined as 45% or more CD8+S6F1+ cells and 35% or more CD8+CD57- cells, w as found in none of 17 recipients without acute graft-versus-host dise ase, 9 of 16 recipients with grade I disease, 8 of 9 recipients with g rade II or worse disease had this tern. Conclusions: Our test may he u seful for the laboratory diagnosis of acute graft-versus-host disease.