Efficacy of Transfer Factor in Treating Patients with Recurrent Herpes Keratitis

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of specific anti HSV Transfer Factor (TF) for recurrent Herpes keratitis treatment. Methods: 200 patients (112 women, 88 men, mean age 39±8.3 years, range from 22 to 66 years) affected by herpes keratitis were assessed for the presence of antibodies against HSV1 and were treated with orally administered TF . Follow up was 4±1 years before TF treatment and 2±1.5 years after TF treatment. Mean duration of treatment was 200±12 days. Clinical evaluation parameters were: number and duration of relapses calculated by a cumulative relapse index (R.I.) Immunological evaluation parameters were: the lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) and the leucocyte migration test (LMT). Results: Before treatment R.I. was 14.5±8.8, after treatment R.I. was 4.8±4.2, mean duration of relapses before treatment was 16.1±13.3, after treatment was 6.0±2.1. The LST and LMT showed statistical significant(p<0.01) differences before and after treatment. Conclusions: Specific anti HSV TF seems to be efficacious, associated with other usual antiviral drugs in preventing herpes keratitis relapses.

Keywords: keratitis • herpes simplex virus • immunomodulation/immunoregulation