title: The Prevalence of Toxocariasis and Diagnostic Value of Serologic Tests in Asymptomatic Korean Adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Toxocariasis is the most common cause of peripheral blood eosinophilia in Korea and produces eosinophilic infiltration in various organs, including the lung. However, the prevalence of toxocariasis in the general population is rarely reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the seroprevalence of Toxocara larval antibody among asymptomatic people who attended Samsung Medical Center for a health checkup, including low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) between March 2012 and December 2013. A total of 633 people (400 men and 233 women) were prospectively recruited.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Toxocara-seropositive rate was 51.2% using the current cutoff value based on Toxocara enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (67.0% for men and 24.0% for women). In the multivariate-adjusted model, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.08; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.04-1.11), male sex (OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 2.26-5.33), rural residence (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.05-2.30), and history of raw liver intake (OR, 8.52; 95% CI, 3.61-20.11) were significantly associated with Toxocara seropositivity. When subjects were divided into 3 groups using cutoff values base on weak positive and strong positive control optical densities (ODs), the ORs for peripheral blood eosinophilia and serum hyperIgEaemia were 0.31 (95% CI, 0.02-2.89) in the weakpositive group and 36.64 (95% CI, 11.73-111.42) in the strong positive group compared to the seronegative group. Similarly, ORs for the solid nodule with surrounding halo were 2.54 (95% CI, 0.60-10.84) in the weak positive group and 15.08 (95 CI 4.09-55.56) in the strong positive group compared to the seronegative group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study indicated that the Toxocara-seropositive rate obtained by using the current cutoff value based on ELISA was high in the asymptomatic population in Korea. The results of this study suggest that active toxocariasis may be more frequently seen in the Toxocara-strong positive group than in the Toxocara-weak positive group.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Promotion, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Promotion, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Moon Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Promotion, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Hae
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Promotion, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Paeng
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sehyo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yune
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Jae
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. dcchoi@skku.edu.
authors.forename: Dong Chull
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Choi
keywords: Toxocara canis; diagnosis; prevalence; toxocariasis