Differentiation of functionally active mouse T lymphocytes from functionally inactive bone marrow precursors. III. Induction of T-cell activities by growth of bone marrow on feeder layers prepared from mouse thymocytes.

Four patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome were treated with transfer factor (TF), in an attempt to improve their clinical condition. Before and during treatment, cellular reactivity was followed in vivo (delayed type skin reactivity) and in vitro (lymphocyte transformation). In all patients positive skin reactions were occasionally observed during TF treatment. The lymphocyte reactivity in vitro to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) was slightly diminished, the responding capacity of the mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) severely impaired and the response to bacterial, viral and fungal antigens absent before and during TF treatment. No clinical improvement was observed after large doses of TF. No correlation between skin test reversal and TF administration was found, and lymphocyte transformation in vitro did not improve. Subsequently, a double blind trial, in which we compared the effect of TF and placebo, was carried out in these patients, which revealed no effect of TF therapy. It is concluded that the results of treatment with TF in these patients are highly controversial.