Transfer factor therapy in hyperimmunoglobulinaemia E syndrome.

The therapeutic effect of transfer factor (TF) from healthy donors was investigated in two children with extensive intractable atopic dermatitis, recurrent pyogenic skin infections, hyperimmunoglobulinaemia E, defective neutrophil chemotaxis and depressed cell-mediated immunity. Striking clinical improvement was noted in both patients with disappearance of skin infections, pruritus and eczema. No new lesions have occurred 13 months after the completion of therapy in the first patient but a few new atopic lesions have reappeared after 8 months in the second. Both patients are off steroids and antibiotics. Transfer factor administration did not influence the T cell rosette number or the lymphocyte blastic transformation response, but it did cause conversion of the skin-test reactivity in both patients and correction of polymorphonuclear chemotaxis in one of them. Non clinical side-effects were noted but marked and persistent rise of serum IgE was observed in both patients. Our data suggest that patients with hyper-IgE syndrome may be benefited by TF therapy and they lend further support to the notion that T lymphocyte deficiency may be the basis of the eczema in this syndrome.