Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is an important complication of bone marrow 
transplantation and is known to induce sweat gland abnormalities. We employed 
immunohistochemical staining for granulysin, dermcidin as well as IL-17 and 
Foxp3 in the lesional skin of 7 patients with acute GVHD. Granulysin-bearing 
cells were distributed in the epidermis, basal membrane zone of the dermis, and 
superficial perivascular lesion of the dermis. Interestingly, granulysin-bearing 
cells were also detected around the secretory portion of the eccrine glands, 
which might be related to the downregulation of the expression of dermcidin on 
the secretory portion of the eccrine glands. Differing from a mouse model, in 
human acute GVHD, IL-17-producing cells and Foxp3(+) cells were not prominent. 
Our present observation sheds light on the contribution of granulysin-bearing 
cells to the decrease of the sweat in patients with acute GVHD. Though we did 
not assess the function of these infiltrating lymphocytes directly, further 
analysis of the mechanism of this phenomenon would offer fundamental insight 
into the establishment of acute GVHD.