Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GvHD) is a rare complication of blood transfusion, in which the immunologically competent donor T lymphocytes mount an immune response against the recipient's lymphoid tissue.
[5] Laboratory findings include pancytopenia, marrow aplasia, abnormal liver enzymes, and electrolyte imbalance (when diarrhea is present).
[citation needed] TA-GvHD can be suspected from a biopsy of the affected skin or liver,[4] and established by HLA analysis of the circulating lymphocytes.
This testing can identify circulating lymphocytes with a different HLA type than the tissue cells of the host.
[citation needed] The most common causes of death in TA-GvHD are infections and hemorrhages secondary to pancytopenia and liver dysfunction.