Graft-versus-host disease

Symptoms:

Acute:

• rashes
• diarrhea
• fever
• blisters
• toxic state (extremely ill)

Note: symptoms begin within 2 weeks after transplantation.

Chronic:

• malaise
• fatigue
• dry mouth
• muscle aches
• skin changes
• weakness
• increased infections

Note: Symptoms occur after 3 months and resemble autoimmune diseases (in which the donor graft makes antibodies against the body tissues) such as lupus.

Signs and tests:

Acute:

• erythroderma
• hyperbilirubinemia
• lymphocytosis
• edema, peripheral
• bone marrow loss

Chronic:

• multisystem autoimmune symptoms
  • lupus erythematosus
  • scleroderma
  • Sjogren's syndrome
  • fasciitis
  • infection