Transfer factor therapy of thoracic sarcoidosis

The authors repeatedly treated 59 patients with thoracic sarcoidosis with transfer factor (TF) since 1976. They utilized this therapy with TF from human tonsil lymphocytes (TFh) on account of the ineffectiveness of the corticosteroid treatment, because of the side effects of the corticosteroids, and as primary TF therapy, and to test an animal TF preparation from pig tonsil lymphocytes (TFp). In their observations only fraction II of the dialysable leukocyte extract was sufficient. Differences in the effectiveness between TFh and TFp do not exist on the whole. Our conclusion is that TF can stimulate the immunosystem of the patients, and can be an important mode of treatment. The mode of action is not clear.