Immunodiagnosis of ocular toxocariasis using Western-blot for the detection of specific anti-Toxocara IgG and CAP for the measurement of specific anti-Toxocara IgE.
A prospective multicentric study was carried out to assess both the performance of Western-blot (WB) detecting specific anti-Toxocara IgG and that of CAP measuring specific IgE titre for the immunodiagnosis of ocular toxocariasis. For 14 outpatients presenting ophthalmic symptoms (choroiditis, chorioretinitis, papillar oedema, hyalitis, retinal detachment and/or uveitis), samples of serum and aqueous fluid (AF) were sent to the Department of Parasitology, University Hospitals, Toulouse, France. All patients but two tested positive with WB on the serum; 13 WB tests were performed on the AF, 12 of which were positive. The two patients who had a negative WB serum result tested positive for the AF. Specific IgE detection was considered as a complementary test of WB. Two patients showed a greater specific IgE titre in the AF than in the serum, and one had a positive result in the AF, but not in the serum. These six patients were considered as clear cases of ocular toxocariasis. Western-blot coupled with specific anti-Toxocara IgE detection appeared therefore to be an accurate procedure for the immunodiagnosis of ocular toxocariasis, provided the testing was simultaneously performed on the serum and AF.
Magnaval
J-F
JF
Service de Parasitologie, CHU Rangueil, 31403 Toulouse 4, France. magnaval@cict.fr
Malard
L
L
Morassin
B
B
Fabre
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002648:Child; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014119:Toxocara / Q000276:immunology*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000175:diagnosis*
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007073:Immunoglobulin E