ABSTRACT
Bone marrow transplantation has proved to be useful therapy for some forms of leukemia, bone marrow failure (aplastic anemia), and primary immunodeficiency diseases. More recently, other sources of hematopoietic stem cells, such as peripheral blood stem cells and cord blood, have also been used for these purposes. Bone marrow and most other sources of hematopoietic stem cells contain mature T lymphocytes, which may recognize the tissues of their new host as foreign and cause a severe inflammatory disease in the recipient. This is known as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and is characterized by a rash, which often starts on the face (Fig. 47.1), diarrhea, pneumonitis (inflammation in the lung), and liver damage.
