Blood Irradiation for GVHD

["Carbaugh, Eugene H" <gene.carbaugh@pnl.gov>]

I'm showing my ignorance.  If healthy blood is irradiated to prevent Graft vs.
Host Disease, what is the impact on the healthy cells in the blood.  I guess
fundamental to my question is a need to better understand the nature of GVHD.
Presumably the reason for transfusion is to replace lost or dysfunctional red
cells, platelets, white cells, etc, until the body can resume production of its
own.  Is the blood irradiation dose sufficiently high to impact the desired
cells, and if so, to what extent?  

Gene Carbaugh, CHP
Internal Dosimetry
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
gene.carbaugh@pnl.gov
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