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

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

The company continues to focus on its core therapeutic areas, including oncology, inflammation and autoimmunity, and myeloproliferative neoplasms and graft-versus-host disease, with a strong pipeline of products in various stages of development. —Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 10 Feb. 2025

Kitchin was dealing with a complication known as graft-versus-host disease, where the donor cells begin attacking the recipient’s organs and tissues. —Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 15 July 2024

Amelia did end up with a bout of graft-versus-host disease; cyclophosphamide lowers the risk but not to zero. —Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024

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