Teething and acute graft vs. host disease: a clinical observation.

A 5-month-old girl, treated with bone marrow transplantation for severe combined immunodeficiency, developed two episodes of severe acute graft vs. host disease (GVHD) while teething. A dramatic improvement in GVHD was noted after the completion of tooth eruption. It is suggested that the release of interleukin-1, associated with the traumatized gingival tissue, is the triggering mediator for the GVHD.