OBJECTIVES:
Primary
* Identify detectable changes in the transcriptomic or proteomic expression prior to clinical manifestations of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in blood samples from at-risk patients who have undergone allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
Secondary
* Characterize changes in the transcriptome or proteome expression pattern which are predictive of clinically significant GVHD in these patients.
* Develop reliable tests which enable early intervention for these patients.
OUTLINE: Blood samples are collected prior to and just after typical onset of clinical graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) on days 1, 7-10, 20-23, 30-33, and 60 after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. RNA is quantified and assessed by microarray analysis to identify changes to transcriptome or proteome expression and markers predictive of the onset of clinical GVHD. Samples are also stored for future analysis.
