[Toxocara canis and bronchial asthma].
In order to evaluate the association between the infection by Toxocara canis and the symptoms of asthma in children from a subtropical region with high prevalence of toxocariasis, 47 asthmatic children and 53 non-asthmatics as a control group were studied. A complete physical examination was performed and clinical and epidemiological data were registered. In asthmatic children the frequency and severity of symptoms were classified in grades I to IV. The presence of anti-Toxocara canis antibodies in both groups was evaluated employing a solid phase ELISA method with excretion/secretion antigens, and total Ig E was also measured. Results showed a total seropositivity of 55%, 57.4% in children with asthma and 52.8% in the control group. Among asthmatics with severe symptoms (grade II, III and IV), there was a 67.7% of seropositivity while in children with symptoms of grade I there was a 37.5% (p = 0.0470). The infection with T. canis could act as a co-factor increasing the severity of the symptoms of bronchial asthma.
Area de Inmunología, Instituto de Medicina Regional, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Resistencia, Chaco. jmalonso@medreg.unne.edu.ar
María de Los Angeles
Mde L
López
María V
MV
Bojanich
Juan M
JM
Jacobacci
Clara
C
Sercic
Alicia
A
Michelini
José M
JM
Alonso
D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood*; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology*; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017166:Toxocara canis / Q000276:immunology*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth
Toxocara canis y asma bronquial.