The diagnostic conundrum of acute cutaneous graft-versus-host disease: biomarkers remain elusive

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is increasing in frequency with graft-versus-host disease affecting many recipients. When the skin is involved, biopsy is routinely performed but often does not aid in definitive diagnosis. Here, we examine a cohort of 32 patients for potential biomarkers that can aid in the diagnosis of graft-versus-host disease. Neither blood short tandem repeat testing or neutrophil-lymphocyte ratios were predictive of rash etiology in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. However, skin short tandem repeat testing showed promise as a predictor in a small minority of cases in this cohort.