Severe graft-versus-host disease post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation due to loss of HLA heterozygosity in recipient lymphocytes after full graft rejection

Germ cell tumors complicated by hematological malignancy(HM)are a rare clinical phenomenon.Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT)is a potentially effective therapy,but graft-versus-host disease(GVHD)is a life-threatening complication.We report a case of a 13-year-old female patient diagnosed with germ cell tumors followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia.After chemotherapy,she received allo-HSCT and her chimerism rate decreased rapidly to near zero by 6 months without evidence of HM recurrence.However,she developed severe,multiorgan GVHD-like manifestations.DNA analysis revealed the pathogenesis of GVHD to be loss of HLA heterozygosity in recipient hematopoietic cells.