Improvement in delayed hypersensitivity in Hodgkin's disease with transfer factor: lymphapheresis and cellular immune reactions or normal donors.

Passive transfer of delayed hypersensitivity was achieved, with normal transfer factor, in patients with Hodgkin's disease in remission. The cellular immune responses of the recipients improved. It is suggested that, in addition to specific effect the transfer factor (or factors) has a nonspecific effect causing improvement in the state of delayed hypersensitivity of the recipient in general. The average number of E-rosette T lymphocytes was 46.3% after the transfer factor treatment in Hodgkin's disease. The control patients with Hodgkin's disease, not receiving transfer factor, had a value of 37.8%. Removal of 4.9 X 10(9) to 1.08 X 10(10) lymphocytes did not diminish the delayed hypersensitivity of the donor. Side effects attributable to transfer factor were not seen.