Hana, I, Vrubel, J, Pekarek, J et al. · Biotherapy (Dordrecht, Netherlands) · 1996 · DOI
This study looked at 222 patients with weak immune systems, many of whom also had ME/CFS and/or chronic viral infections (EBV or CMV). They were treated with transfer factor, a type of immune-boosting therapy, given as injections over 8 weeks. The researchers found that younger patients improved more often than older patients, with failure rates rising significantly in those over 54 years old.
This study suggests that age significantly affects immune system response to transfer factor treatment in ME/CFS patients with cellular immunodeficiency, potentially explaining variable treatment outcomes across age groups. Understanding age-related treatment response is crucial for personalizing therapeutic approaches and setting realistic expectations for patients with ME/CFS and associated immune dysfunction.
This study does not establish that transfer factor is effective for ME/CFS—it lacks a control group or placebo comparison, and the authors acknowledge a placebo effect cannot be excluded. The observational design cannot prove causation, and findings are limited to this particular preparation (Immodin) and may not generalize to other transfer factor products or patient populations. Age-related differences in treatment response do not establish the underlying biological mechanism.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Hana, I, Vrubel, J, Pekarek, J, & Cech, K (1996). The influence of age on transfer factor treatment of cellular immunodeficiency, chronic fatigue syndrome and/or chronic viral infections.. Biotherapy (Dordrecht, Netherlands). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02628664
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-hana-1996-influence-age,
author = {Hana, I and Vrubel, J and Pekarek, J and Cech, K},
title = {The influence of age on transfer factor treatment of cellular immunodeficiency, chronic fatigue syndrome and/or chronic viral infections.},
journal = {Biotherapy (Dordrecht, Netherlands)},
year = {1996},
doi = {10.1007/BF02628664},
note = {PubMed: 8993765},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/hana-1996-influence-age},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/hana-1996-influence-age
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