DEVELOPMENT OF PSORIASIS AFTER SYNGENEIC BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANT FROM PSORIATIC DONOR - FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR ADOPTIVE AUTOIMMUNITY

Transfer of donor immunity has been demonstrated in animal models of b oth allogeneic and syngeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Clinic al case reports have suggested that human autoimmune disease may be si milarly transferred. However, it is difficult to completely exclude au toimmune phenomena associated with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) as previously reported cases are of allogeneic BMT. In addition, the ons et of autoimmunity has been distantly related to the timing of the tra nsplant, perhaps because of the immunosuppression used for prophylaxis and treatment of GVHD. We describe a patient in whom the development of psoriasis shortly after receiving syngeneic bone marrow from a psor iatic donor and its recurrence with arthropathy following a second syn geneic BMT provide more direct evidence for the adoptive transfer of h uman autoimmune disease, probably by T cells.