CATCH study describes chronic GVHD incidence, early presentation, and risk factors

The Chronic GVHD Consortium CATCH study prospectively assessed the incidence, earliest manifestations, and predictors of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Investigators enrolled 208 participants at seven transplant centers, with assessments before transplantation, approximately every two months during the first year, and at chronic GVHD diagnosis. Evaluations included clinician organ scores, patient-reported measures, and biologic samples.

By 24 months, the cumulative incidence of any chronic GVHD was 54%; incidence of disease requiring systemic immunosuppressive therapy was 38%. At onset, involvement most commonly affected the mouth (42%), eyes (41%), and skin (32%), followed by the liver (17%), lungs (11%), gastrointestinal tract (9%), and joints/fascia (5%). Overall severity was mild or less in 55%, moderate in 37%, and severe in 8%. Management practices varied.

Subsequent disease requiring systemic therapy was significantly associated with baseline donor/recipient cytomegalovirus positivity, prophylaxis not based on posttransplant cyclophosphamide, and serial changes in skin, mouth, joint range-of-motion, and Lee Symptom Scale summary scores. These findings may inform monitoring and the design of early-intervention trials, but the observational design does not establish causality or treatment benefit. The available abstract does not provide association effect sizes or confidence intervals, limiting assessment of predictive strength.