The use of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) is rapidly growing in the allogeneic transplantation setting as an alternative to bone marrow (BM). We previously reported a higher incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) associated with allogeneic PBSC transplantation in a randomized trial. In this follow-up report, we analyzed the evolution of cGVHD in the patients (n = 101) enrol...

BACKGROUND A hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus is high titers of circulating autoantibodies. Recently, a novel CD11c+ B-cell subset has been identified that is critical for the development of autoimmunity. However, the role of CD11c+ B cells in the development of lupus is unclear. Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a lupus-like syndrome with high autoantibody production. The pu...

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a late complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), occurring in 18% to 70% of recipients.1-3 The oral tissues may be involved in up to 90% of the patients that present cGVHD in other organs.4-10 Oral mucosa lesions and salivary gland dysfunction are the main manifestations of oral cGVHD, but a reduction of the mouth opening ...

4-1BB, a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily, is a costimulator for activated T cells. Previous studies have established that treatment with agonistic anti-4-BB monoclonal antibody (3H3) is effective in reversing the progression of spontaneous systemic lupus erythematosus. Its therapeutic effect is mediated by suppression of autoantibody production. In this report, we...

BACKGROUND The safety of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) in steroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease (SR-cGVHD) has been explored in multiple studies but reported response rates (RR) vary significantly across studies. METHODS We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of ECP for SR-cGVHD. A search of electronic databases for studies published between 1984 and 2012 was ...

BACKGROUND Use of a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen before an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is frequently associated with an early state of mixed hematopoietic chimerism. Such a coexistence of both host and donor hematopoietic cells may influence posttransplant alloreactivity and may affect the occurrence and severity of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) ...

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (alloBMT). However, effective strategies for the treatment of cGVHD have not been established. In this study, we examined the therapeutic utility of modified dendritic cells (DCs) with a greater capacity to regulate immune responses than previously known tolerogenic D...

In patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) remains a frequent complication and resembles autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis. Our previous work demonstrated the critical role of CD28 costimulation of donor T cells for GVHD induction. In this study, we investigate the role of CD28 cost...

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an immunomodulatory therapy which has been used in the treatment of chronic GVHD (cGVHD). ECP involves separation of the mononuclear cells with leukapheresis, followed by ex vivo administration of 8-methoxypsoralen and UV-A radiation and reinfusion to the patient. Aim of the study was to evaluate clinical and immunomodulatory effect of ECP procedures in pat...

Patients that have an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant are susceptible to developing chronic graft versus host disease (cGvHD). Often the oral mucosal is significantly altered due to this process. Occasionally, non-gingival soft tissue growths (NGSTG) also complicate the clinical presentation. We describe a patient that had oral cGvHD and NGSTG and discuss the challenges to treatment.