Transfer factor in restoration of cell mediated immunity in lung cancer patients.

We studied the transfer factor (TF) with regard to in vivo and in vitro restoration of cell mediated immunity (CMI) in lung cancer patients. Twenty-eight lung cancer patients who had undergone resection were the recipients and 30 household contact family members with a positive reactivity to lung cancer extract were the donors of TF. Immunologic status was evaluated by delayed type cutaneous hypersensitivity (DTH), peripheral T lymphocyte number, PHA lymphocyte blastogenesis, serum blocking activity (SBA) and leucocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) test. When TF was administered twice subcutaneously to the patients, there was a statistically significant restoration or augmentation of DTH, PHA lymphocyte blastogenesis and abrogation of SBA, particularly in patients with suppressed CMI. These results suggest that it was the TF obtained from relatives of lung cancer patients with positive reactivity to tumor associated antigens restored or augmented tumor specific and nonspecific CMI in these lung cancer patients.