Transfer factor in the treatment of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis: a controlled study

A controlled cross-over study with transfer factor was carried out on 7 patients suffering from chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis. Only one patient showed clinical improvement, which started during a period of pretreatment with 5-fluorocytosine given orally 14 days before the patient entered this trial. No conversion to a positive skin test with Candida antigen or PPD was demonstrated following TF in the 6 patients who were anergic to either of these antigens. Variations in the cell-mediated immune response as revealed by lymphocyte transformation were observed in most patients, especially when studied over a long period of time. However, no pronounced efficacy of TF vis-à-vis placebo in normalizing the cell-mediated immune response could be demonstrated in the 5 patients who completed the clinical trial. Systemic side effects were not observed.