A serological survey of toxocariasis in patients and healthy donors in Barcelona (Spain).
The ELISA test, using excretory-secretory antigen from larvae II of Toxocara canis, was applied on 1018 sera (793 from adults and 225 from pediatrics) distributed in: A) patients with an hypereosinophilia where the ethiological agent was undetermined (99); B) patients with ocular complaints compatible with an ocular toxocariasis (116); C) patients with hidatidosis (97); D) patient with other non-toxocaral helminthiasis (34); E) patients with other clinical features (468) and F) healthy donors (204). Over 3,6% of sera showed elevated levels of antibodies reacting with T. canis antigen. The prevalence of seropositivity was statistically higher in patients with eosinophilia (14,1%) (a less than 0,001) and ocular complaints (6%) (0,025 greater than alpha greater than 0,01) than in the control group (1%). In the overall seropositivity from pediatrics did not differ from that of the adults.
Microbiology Service, Hospital Sta. Creu i S. Pau., Barcelona.
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D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis*; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology; D001782:Blood Donors; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013030:Spain; D014119:Toxocara / Q000276:immunology*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth