OBJECTIVETo investigate the incidence and risk factors of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

METHODSThe clinical data of 151 cases of allo-HSCT in 150 patients from Nov 2001 to Jan 2004 was analyzed.

RESULTSaGVHD was developed in 60 cases (40.2%), including 43 cases with grade I - II and 17 with grade III - IV aGVHD, the mean time of aGVHD development was 21 days (range 1 - 85 days) after allo-HSCT, 35 out of 55 cases achieved complete response (CR) (63.6%). The early survival rate for grade I - II aGVHD was more than 90%, while that for grade III - IV aGVHD was 46%. Nineteen factors possibly correlated with the development of aGVHD were analyzed. The univariate analysis showed that recipient age, donor's sex, recipient's sex, sex and ABO blood group disparity between donor and recipient, diagnosis, the status of disease, the stage of disease, stem cell source, conditioning regimen (TBI/without TBI), CD34(+) cell number, CD3(+) cell number, early engraftment and neutropenic infection were not closely associated with the occurrence of aGVHD (P > 0.05). On the Cox regression model, 2 independent factors for grade I - IV aGVHD were identified:HLA mismatch (RR = 1.681, P < 0.05) and positive surface antigen (HBsAg) (RR = 1.907, P < 0.05). In addition, the univariate analysis showed aGVHD was strongly associated with CMV infection (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONaGVHD is a common complication after HSCT, HLA mismatch and HBsAg positivity are independent risk factors for aGVHD.