1. Be wary of anyone selling "Transfer Factor" over the internet, especially if they claim to have "pure TF." No one has yet purified TF. The closest anyone has come are those few scientists deriving TF in tissue culture, from clonally-expanded lymphoblastoid cell lines (of mammalian origin), in presence of specific antigen. Furthermore, depending on what molecular-weight cut-off (i.e., microfiltration pore size) is used, preparations purported to contain TF may also contain other cytokines, especially Interleukins, Interferon-alpha, -beta, and -gamma, and Tumor Necrosis Factor. At the very least, ask what cut-off is used, whether the preparation has been tested for other cytokines, whether the potency of the "TF" has been measured and if so for which specific antigen. (If more than one, ask relative potency to each.)
   


2. Do not take TF for CFIDS unless immunologic tests have been performed to exclude other diseases with identical symptoms, e.g. Lyme disease. Optimal therapy for these differs from that of CFIDS; there is a different one for each cause. Beware of physicians stating Lyme disease to be the cause of CFIDS; it is a separate disease with specific diagnostic tests and a different therapy.
   


3. If you have adverse reactions to milk, do not take TF derived from bovine colostrum unless lactose, casein, and cytokines have been proven to be absent; ask for proof! Furthermore, presence of concentrated cytokines in product sold as a nutritional is probably a violation U.S. Dietary Supplement Health Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, since the Act only permitted continued sale of product as nutritional if it had been considered one prior to that time. Also ask if person suggesting use is an M.D., and whether licensed in that state or country.
   


4. If anyone claims to be expert on TF, contact ITFS to see if claimant is member thereof; and if claims to be INTERNATIONAL EXPERT, look in WHO's WHO IN MEDICINE & HEALTHCARE, & WHO'S WHO IN THE WORLD, to verify.
   


5. Claims by various companies that their concentrated bovine colostrum constitutes antigen-specific TF, without proof by potency assay -- or purporting to have TF for streptococci, staphylococci, salmonella etc. -- are bogus. Furthermore, any product claimed to treat / cure / prevent a specific disease / virus / antigen, cannot be sold as a "nutritional" under DSHEA.
   


6. Beware any company advertising on Internet or via Emails addressed to "All health care providers" (or using similar language) that asks reader to call a toll-free 800 number, which responds with a lengthy recorded message. Any company that lists an 800 number on the Web, does not answer when you call, but asks you to leave your phone number for them to call you back, is probably fraudulent. Suggest you call 3 times at different times of day; if you never reach a live person, only call-back number, it is probably fraudulent.
   


7. Any company selling both "TF" and 1,3 D beta glucan is probably fraudulent. Exorbitant claims have been made for latter; it is a yeast, very easy to buy and encapsulate. There have been no published papers showing its efficacy in any human disease, only in vitro studies that it boosts macrophagocytic capacity. This will EXACERBATE autoimmune hemolytic anemia and autoimmune thrombocytopenia! These diseases are often silent because bone marrow can compensate for the increased destruction rate by producing these at 6-8 fold normal; if compensation occurs, person will develop the disease; if person already symptomatic, it will cause exacerbation.