What is the treatment for acute graft-versus-host disease?

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a condition that can occur after a stem cell or bone marrow transplant when the donor's immune cells attack the recipient's tissues, particularly affecting the skin, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. The primary treatment for acute GVHD involves the use of immunosuppressive therapies, with glucocorticoids being the standard choice.

Methylprednisolone, a type of glucocorticoid, is particularly effective because it has potent anti-inflammatory properties and can quickly reduce the immune response that leads to tissue damage in GVHD. This intervention works by dampening the donor’s immune cells that are causing the attack on the recipient's body.

In contrast, other treatment options such as antibiotic therapy do not address the underlying immunological process of acute GVHD and are more suited to managing infections rather than the disease itself. Immune modulators could potentially play a role in the treatment, but they are not considered first-line therapies for acute situations. Stem cell transplantation is a procedure used to treat various hematological diseases but does not treat acute GVHD once it has already developed; it is often the context in which GVHD occurs.

Thus, the use of glucocorticoids like methylprednis