Acute cutaneous graft versus host disease: a clinicopathologic and immunophenotypic study.

Acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a major complication of bone marrow transplantation. This study was undertaken to characterize the histopathologic alterations in early lesions of GVHD and to improve our understanding about the disease process. Histopathologic and immunoperoxidase studies of skin tissue were carried out in 20 patients of GVHD. Sixty percent had grade II histopathologic changes in the skin, grade I and III changes were observed in 35% and 5% respectively. Follicular involvement could be observed in all cases beyond grade I. Immunoperoxidase study revealed OPD4 (+) (T-helper) cells in dermis and OPD4 (-) (probably cytotoxic/suppressor) cells in epidermis.