graft-versus-host disease

noun

graft-ver·​sus-host disease ˈgraft-ˌvər-səs-ˈhōst- 

: a potentially fatal bodily condition that results when T cells from a tissue or organ transplant and especially a bone marrow transplant react immunologically against the recipient's antigens attacking cells and tissues

Examples of graft-versus-host disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Over the years, the youngster has suffered from symptoms of graft-versus-host disease: scarring issues with his eyes, lung and liver disease, among others, his mother said. —Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026

The filing also cites several underlying medical problems that played a role in Escobedo’s decline, including sepsis, complications from graft-versus-host disease, a weakened immune system, chronic kidney impairment, and pneumonia, TMZ reported. —Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025

In most cases, the donor is not a sibling, which introduces the risk that the donor’s immune cells will attack the recipient’s body, a phenomenon called graft-versus-host disease. —Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025

Orencia, also known by the name abatacept, used to treat such autoimmune conditions as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and to help people who have undergone stem cell transplants prevent acute graft-versus-host disease. —Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 29 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for graft-versus-host disease

• idiosyncrasies
• abcs
• absentees
• addressees
• adoptees
• allottees
• amputees
• antifreeze
• appellees
• appointees
• arrestees
• artistes

Medical Definition

graft-versus-host disease

noun

: a bodily condition that results when T cells from a usually allogeneic tissue or organ transplant and especially a bone marrow transplant react immunologically against the recipient's antigens attacking cells and tissues, that affects especially the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and liver with symptoms including skin rash, fever, diarrhea, liver dysfunction, abdominal pain, and anorexia, and that may be fatal

—abbreviation GVHD

called also graft-versus-host reaction