Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) is best described as?

• A. A condition where immunocompetent donor cells attack recipient cells, mostly occurring with allogeneic transplants
• B. Rejection of donor stem cells by the recipient's immune system
• C. An autoimmune attack on host RBCs
• D. A complication of autologous stem cell transplantation

Answer: (A)

GVHD happens when immunocompetent donor T cells in the graft recognize the recipient’s tissues as foreign and attack them. This is most likely after allogeneic transplants, where the donor and recipient are not genetically identical, so donor immune cells can see host tissues as foreign. It’s not the recipient’s immune system rejecting donor cells, which would be a host-versus-graft reaction, and it’s unlikely with autologous transplants since the graft comes from the patient themselves. In GVHD, the target tissues are often the skin, liver, and gut, leading to rash, jaundice, and diarrhea. So the best description is immunocompetent donor cells attacking recipient cells, mainly in allogeneic transplants.