Long-term transfer factor treatment in severe atopic dermatitis

Thymopoietin pentapeptide (TP-5) improves clinical parameters and lymphocyte subpopulations in atopic dermatitis

In a double-blind prospective study, eighteen patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) were treated with thrice-weekly injections of 50 mg thymopoietin pentapeptide (TP-5) or placebo for 6 weeks. Clinical parameters, lymphocyte subsets defined by monoclonal antibodies, and serum IgE were modified. Younger patients (age less than 34) responded to TP-5 with much greater improvement in severity scores than TP-5-treated patients of age greater than 34 or than placebo-treated patients of either age group (p less than 0.05). Both absolute lymphocytes and OKT8+ cytotoxic/suppressor cells were significantly increased (p less than 0.05) in the TP-5 group, whereas they were not significantly increased in the placebo group (p greater than 0.05). Conversely, Ia+ cells were significantly increased in the placebo group (p less than 0.05), but remained the same in the TP-5 group (p greater than 0.05). Serum IgE levels were not significantly altered in either group. Thus, TP-5 had a beneficial clinical effect in AD, especially in younger patients, and increased the reduced OKT8+ cytotoxic/suppressor T cells and prevented an increase of Ia+ cells during pollen season.

Influence of dialysable transfer factor on IgE concentrations in patients with atopic dermatitis

Dialysable transfer factor (TF) was given in 10 paediatric patients with severe atopic dermatitis (AD). Ten patients with AD, matched for age and severity of disease, served as controls. Prior to the therapy with TF and at weekly intervals thereafter, T- and B-cells in the blood, PHA-stimulation, total IgE and specific IgG antibodies to inhalant and food antigens were determined. Therapy with TF was followed by IgE depression in 8/10 patients and was most pronounced in three patients with initially high levels. Some decrease of IgE levels was seen in four controls also, none of them, however, fell to normal levels as was seen in two of the treated patients. Specific IgE levels decreased slightly, but always remained within the pathological range. T-cell counts in the blood increased in 2/10 cases as well as PHA-stimulation, B-cells counts remained within normal limits. Clinical improvement was seen in one patient, five improved slightly and four remained unchanged. Our results indicate, that transfer factor can lower total IgE levels in cases with atopic dermatitis. The effect is most marked in patients with high total IgE levels. Skin involvement, however, does not closely follow in vitro findings.