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Updated: Aug 6, 2025
Bone Marrow Transplantation Platform to Investigate the Role of Dendritic Cells in Graft-versus-Host Disease
Published on: March 17, 2020
Psychological and physical function in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant survivors with chronic
Jenna L Hansen1, Mark B Juckett2, Mikayla A Foster1
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 6001 Research Park Blvd, Milwaukee, WI, 53719, USA.
Insights
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) significantly impacts physical and psychological well-being. Severe cGVHD and specific sites like skin and GI tract correlate with worse outcomes, necessitating proactive interventions for HCT survivors.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Transplantation Immunology
Background:
- Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a frequent complication following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).
- Understanding the physical and psychological sequelae of cGVHD is crucial for improving patient care and long-term outcomes.
- Previous research has not comprehensively assessed the multifaceted impact of cGVHD on patient function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate physical and psychological function in patients with cGVHD.
- To examine the relationship between cGVHD severity and functional outcomes.
- To explore how cGVHD manifestation site influences physical and psychological symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Adults undergoing allogeneic HCT were enrolled, including 59 with cGVHD and 19 without (reference group).
- Participants completed validated self-report measures assessing depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, pain, cognition, and sexual function.
- cGVHD severity and site were clinically assessed using NIH consensus criteria.
Main Results:
- Mild cGVHD patients showed similar symptoms to the reference group.
- Moderate cGVHD was associated with increased anxiety and sexual dysfunction.
- Severe cGVHD correlated with heightened depressive symptoms and pain; skin and GI tract involvement led to the most severe symptoms.
Conclusions:
- More severe cGVHD, particularly affecting the skin, GI tract, and lungs, is linked to poorer psychological and physical health.
- Patients with these cGVHD manifestations may benefit from early, targeted interventions.
- Optimizing function in cGVHD survivors requires a comprehensive approach addressing both disease severity and site-specific impacts.
Purpose:
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a common late complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). This study comprehensively evaluated physical and psychological function among individuals with cGVHD. Additional aims were to investigate relationships between disease severity and psychological and physical function, and to investigate patterns of psychological and physical function by disease site.
Method:
Adults at least 6 months post allogeneic HCT were enrolled and either had cGVHD (n =59) or served as a reference sample of HCT survivors with no cGVHD history (n = 19). Participants completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, pain, cognition, and sexual function and had a comprehensive clinical evaluation of cGVHD using NIH consensus scoring criteria. Participants with cGVHD were stratified by disease severity and site and compared to the reference group with no cGVHD.
Results:
Participants with mild cGVHD had comparable psychological and physical symptoms to the reference sample, while participants with moderate cGVHD experienced more severe anxiety and problems with sexual function, and participants with severe cGVHD experienced more severe depressive symptoms and pain compared to the reference sample. Participants with cGVHD manifesting in the skin and GI tract had the most severe symptoms, including mood disturbance, fatigue, and pain.
Conclusions And Implications For Cancer Survivors:
Results suggest that patients with more severe cGVHD and those with cGVHD manifesting in the skin, GI tract, and lungs are at risk for poorer psychological and physical outcomes and may benefit from proactive interventions to optimize function.
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