Brief report: polymorphic microsatellite markers for the diagnosis of graft-versus-host disease

Post-transfusion GVHD occurs when the blood donor is homozygous and the recipient heterozygous for certain HLA antigens4-13. [...]HLA typing cannot identify the donor's lymphocytes in a patient with post-transfusion GVHD. The DNA polymorphic patterns of the post-transfusion blood sample clearly differed from those of the skin specimen (Figure 3). Because chimeric lymphocytes had infiltrated the skin specimen, a mixed pattern of patient-derived bands (predominant) and donor-derived bands (faint) was found at the TCFIID locus (Figure 3, lane 2); however, only bands from the patient were found at the HGH locus (Figure 3, lane 2). [...]skin-biopsy specimens obtained after transfusion seem poorly suited to this diagnostic method. In summary, we demonstrated that analysis of polymorphisms of dinucleotide or trinucleotide microsatellite repeats can identify donor DNA in patients with post-transfusion GVHD. Since this method is sensitive, easily applicable, and rapid, it should be useful for the diagnosis of GVHD.