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Persistent Gastrointestinal GVHD: The Application and Utility of Histologic Grading Schemes

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Abstract

Prolonged GVHD is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The damages are not uniform for different regions of the gut. Previous grading methods using the Lerner-Sale scheme have not been useful at predicting outcome at early stages. However, more recent studies indicate involvement of the lower gut, with Lerner-Sale grade I portending a worse outcome. The Myerson apoptotic activitiy index, a second grading scheme which quantitiates the range of apoptotic bodies within Lerner-Sale grade I, provides useful information for guiding therapeutic intervention. The spectrum of gut GVHD, from a single apoptosis to diffuse intestinal ulceration, is presented along with the therapeutic implications.

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Correspondence to Howard M. Shulman .

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Shulman, H.M., Woolston, D.W., Myerson, D. (2019). Persistent Gastrointestinal GVHD: The Application and Utility of Histologic Grading Schemes. In: Yeung, C., Shulman, H. (eds) Pathology of Graft vs. Host Disease. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42099-8_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42099-8_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-42099-8

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