A Case of Chronic Mucocutaneous Candidiasis Successfully Treated with Transfer Factor

Abstract

A case of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMCC) with granulomas, which appeared in a 4-year-old girl, was reported. The patient developed angular chilosis and white plaques on the oral mucosa and tongue one year after her birth. The symptoms have been progressing gradually, and a hyperkeratotic granuloma-like lesion appeared on her frontal scalp at the age of 3. Then deformity of fingernails and paronychia took place slowly. The patient failed to demonstrate cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity to Candida antigen and also to PPD, while agglutinating antibodies against Candida albicans were found to be extremely higher than those of normal controls and localized superficial candidiasis patients. In vitro studies of cell-mediated immunity revealed intense positive blastogenic response to the Candida antigen and negative migration inhibitory factor production to the antigen. The immune state of this patient should be regarded as immune deviation state. The administration of transfer factor resulted in an improvement of the infection which had previously been resistant to the prolonged antifungal treatment, and her impaired cell-mediated immune response was successfully reconstituted. Transfer factor therapy of CMCC was reviewed and discussed in brief.