title: Seroprevalence of toxocariasis among healthy people with eosinophilia.
abstract: The aim of this study is to determine the Toxocara seropositive rate among healthy people with eosinophilia. A total of 97 people residing in Seoul who were healthy and whose blood eosinophilia was over 10%, as shown by regular health check-ups in 2004, were subjected to this study. Their sera were tested by immunoblotting and ELISA with the antigen of larval Toxocara canis excretory-secretory (ES) protein. Sixty-five sera were band-positive (67.0%). The seropositve control sera were positive to band sizes of 66 kDa, 56 kDa, 32 kDa, and 13 kDa. In ELISA, 63 sera (65.0%) were positive to T. canis ES protein. There was no significant correlation between the IgG ELISA titer and the level of eosinophilia (r = 0.156, P = 0.156). As there were insufficient data to determine whether there were cross-reactions with other helminthic infections, or whether atopy occurred, further studies are required to verify the cause of the seropositive reactions against T. canis ES antigen. Toxocariasis seropositivity is suggested to be the major cause of eosinophilia, since the Toxocara seroprevalence among Korean rural adults was shown to be approximately 5%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Hun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Young Bae
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D002353:Carrier State / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000150:complications*; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth