The effect of oral chronic graft-versus-host disease on bodyweight: A cohort study

Abstract

Aim This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the association between body weight and oral cGVHD (chronic graft versus host disease). Methods Patients with oral cGVHD were compared with an age and gender-matched non-GVHD cohort in terms of demographic information, body mass index (BMI), date of transplant, length of hospitalization, and oral complications. Weight was stratified in pre-and post-transplant weight, mean weight after acquiring cGVHD for the first year, and post-oral cGVHD BMI. Each patient was matched and compared with two controls at a 1:2 ratio. Firth’s penalized likelihood logistic regression was used to investigate the association between oral complications and weight loss greater than 5% in the oral cGVHD group. Results This study included 137 patients (n = 42 oral cGVHD, n = 12 non oral-cGVHD and n = 83 non-GVHD). The oral cGVHD cohort had a 1.44 times higher risk (RR) of being underweight (BMI<18.5 kg/m2) compared to the non-GVHD cohort. Oral mucositis was an independent predictor of weight loss above 5% in the oral cGVHD cohort (p < 0.001) Conclusion The weight loss was more prevalent among oral cGVHD, and oral mucositis was linked to significant weight loss. Weight loss may indicate the need to initiate early and aggressive symptomatic oral cGVHD treatment.