Transfer factor for the treatment of HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis.
Transfer factor was obtained from four patients having recovered from acute type-B viral hepatitis. It was replicated in vitro using the LDV/7 lymphoblastoid cell line. This in vitro-produced transfer factor specific for hepatitis B (TFdL-H) was administered to 10 randomly selected patients with biochemically and histologically proven HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis (CAH) at 15-day intervals over a 6-month period. In three out of four initially HBeAg-positive patients, anti-HBe antibodies appeared when the HBeAg disappeared. In one of these patients and in two other HBsAg-positive patients, the appearance of anti-HBs antibodies was noted. The improvement in several biochemical parameters of the TFdL-H patients was statistically significant when compared with those of another group of 10 randomly selected untreated CAH patients. Liver biopsies in six out of eight treated patients showed a histological improvement at the end of the treatment. These results suggest that TFdL-H may be used with beneficial effect for the treatment of HBsAg-positive CAH.
D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014165:Transfer Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D014165:Transfer Factor