Cell mediated immunity in patients with Virchowian hanseniasis before and after treatment with transfer factor.

Cell mediated immunity (CMI), bacterial index (BI), morphological index (MI), skin and lymph nodes biopsies were evaluated in 15 patients with virchowian hanseniasis before and after treatment with transfer factor (TF) obtained from human spleens. The patients were divided in 3 groups: group I (control) received only sulfone, group II received sulfone plus TF and group III received only TF. There was no difference in the numbers of peripherical T and B lymphocytes of patients and normal controls. Before the treatment with TF, there was an impaired response of the patient's peripheral lymphocytes to PHA stimulus, in the presence of autologous or homologous plasma. This depressed response was corrected after treatment with TF in the patients of group III. In none of the patients a positive Mitsuda reaction was observed before and after treatment with TF. The improvement of the MI observed in group III, treated only with TF was remarkably similar to the patients treated only with sulfone. This work points out that TF has a role in the treatment of patients with virchowian hanseniasis, based on the improvement of CMI, MI, on histopathology of skin biopsies and clinical conditions.