Medical Virology, 2nd Edition

Basic Properties and Clinical Applications of Transfer Factor, held during October, 1975. The Academic Press Rapid Manuscript Reproduction series brings us such symposia in book form while the information is still fresh and not dated even to the specialist. Certainly in the case of this volume it is an admirable achievement, for this is truly the most recent information on nearly all aspects of transfer factor. The precise identity of transfer factor remains elusive. However, Section III of this volume, Characterization of Transfer Factor, shows definition of a small polypeptide-polynucleotide complex becoming increasingly clear as subfractions are evaluated both structurally and functionally. In vitro effects of transfer factor on various aspects of leucocyte function, particularly lymphocyte blastogenesis, is comprehensively covered in the first two sections. Of particular note is Salaman's confirmation that transfer factor (or, at least, the leucocyte dialysate containing transfer factor) is not antigen specific. An extensive section devoted to animal models of transfer factor reviews problems associated with finding analogs to human transfer factor. Of special interest are two papers by Steele et al. showing first that conversion of cell-mediated immunity in primates can be achieved by administration of either human or primate transfer factor. Then, in a second step, human transfer factor was used to prevent fatal herpes simplex virus type 1 among primates. This protection was also accompanied by in vivo evidence of highly specific cell-mediated immunity. While only three animals are involved, the data are certainly intriguing. What is of greatest interest in this volume, however, is the number of clinical settings in which transfer factor is being tried. Some twenty-five papers describe trials in nearly as many diseases. To be sure these are mainly case reports or very limited populations, but they are the first step to larger clinical trials. In fact, as Lawrence points out in his summary (which, by the way, can admirably serve as an introduction to the entire field) large double-blind controlled trials with transfer factor are under way among patients with such diseases as multiple sclerosis, chronic active hepatitis, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In summary, this is not a book for the neophyte, nor was it intended to be. As an exceedingly comprehensive survey of recent and ongoing work it serves as an important reference for persons already familiar with the area, and it does so admirably. RICHARD E. KAUFMAN Section of Clinical Immunology and Allergy Yale University School of Medicine