Treatment of varicella-zoster pneumonia with transfer factor

A 29-year-old woman with a long history of immunoreactive disease--thrombocytopenic purpura, bullous pemphigoid, nephropathy, and hemolytic anemia--contracted generalized herpes zoster and varicella pneumonia. Respiratory failure requiring assisted respiration accompanied progressive chest findings. She recovered rapidly simultaneous with the administration of transfer factor from a healing herpes zoster patient. We believe that this therapy should be attempted in similar desperate circumstances.