Human toxocariasis: frequency of anti-Toxocara antibodies in children and adolescents from an outpatient clinic for lymphatic filariasis in Recife, Northeast Brazil

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2004 Mar-Apr;46(2):81-5. doi: 10.1590/s0036-46652004000200005. Epub 2004 May 5.

Abstract

In a transversal study on a sample of 386 children and adolescents from an outpatient clinic for filariasis in Recife, Northeast Brazil, the frequency of anti-Toxocara antibodies and its relation to age, gender, number of peripheral eosinophils, Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae and intestinal helminths was determined. The total anti-Toxocara IgG antibody frequency was 39.4%, by ELISA technique. The difference in frequency between males (40.1%) and females (37.6%) was not statistically significant. The 6 to 10-year-old subset presented the highest frequency of anti-Toxocara antibodies (60%), and within this age group there was a statistically significant male bias. There was also a significant association between the number of eosinophils and the presence of anti-Toxocara antibodies. Intestinal parasite frequency was 52.1%, but no association was found between this data and the presence of anti-Toxocara antibodies. In the present sample, 42.2% of the patients were Wuchereria bancrofti carriers, however, again this was not associated with the presence of anti-Toxocara antibodies. In conclusion, anti-Toxocara antibodies were highly prevalent in this sample. The present data show that there is no cross correlation between anti-Toxocara IgG antibody and the presence of intestinal helminths and filariasis.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Helminth / blood*
  • Brazil
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Elephantiasis, Filarial / complications
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Eosinophils
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood*
  • Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / complications
  • Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / diagnosis
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Male
  • Toxocara / immunology*
  • Toxocariasis / complications
  • Toxocariasis / diagnosis*
  • Wuchereria bancrofti / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Antibodies, Helminth
  • Immunoglobulin G