A randomized study of the prevention of acute graft-versus-host disease.

Acute graft-versus-host disease is a major problem in allogeneic bone-marrow transplantation. We performed a randomized study to compare the effectiveness of two regimens in the prevention of acute graft-versus-host disease. Thirty-five patients received methotrexate alone, and 32 received methotrexate, antithymocyte globulin, and prednisone. Of the patients who received methotrexate alone, 48 per cent had acute graft-versus-host disease, as compared with 21 per cent of those who received methotrexate, antithymocyte globulin, and prednisone (P = 0.01). The age of the recipient was a significant factor in the development of acute graft-versus-host disease: Older patients had a higher incidence of the disease (P = 0.001). We conclude that the combination of methotrexate, antithymocyte globulin, and prednisone significantly decreased the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease and should be used to prevent this disorder in patients receiving allogeneic marrow transplants.