TRANSFER-FACTOR PREVENTS RELAPSES IN HERPES KERATITIS PATIENTS - A PILOT-STUDY

Transfer Factor is a dialysable moiety obtained from immune lymphocyte s. It has been successfully used for the treatment of several viral in fections including labial and genital herpes. In the present study, th irty-three patients with low immune response to HSV antigens and suffe ring from herpes ocular infections were orally treated with HSV-specif ic transfer factor (TF). Their relapse index was reduced from 20.1 bef ore treatment to 0.51 after TF administration, with only 6/33 patients relapsing. Although this is not a placebo-controlled-randomized study , the results suggest that TF specific for HSV antigens may be efficac ious for preventing relapses of ocular herpes infections as has been t he case with genital and labial localisations.