Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease: current concepts and future trends.

Since the initial reports, in the early 1960s, of Transfusion-Associated Graft-versus-Host Disease (TA-GVHD) in infants with congenital immunodeficiency and individuals with various haematological malignancies, our knowledge of this rare but uniformly fatal consequence of transfusion has improved. Today, it is possible to define with greater certainty patients who are most at risk; the blood components capable of causing TA-GVHD; and the methods for preventing TA-GVHD. In the absence of effective treatment for TA-GVHD, attention is currently focused on potential preventative measures, in particular using u.v.- or gamma-irradiated blood components. This overview deals with some general aspects of the current concepts and future trends in treatment of TA-GVHD.