title: Toxocara canis and the allergic process.
abstract: The protective effect of infectious agents against allergic reactions has been thoroughly investigated. Current studies have demonstrated the ability of some helminths to modulate the immune response of infected hosts. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between Toxocara canis infection and the development of an allergic response in mice immunised with ovalbumin (OVA). We determined the total and differential blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells using BALB/c mice as a model. To this end, the levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-10 and anti-OVA-IgE were measured using an ELISA. The inflammatory process in the lungs was observed using histology slides stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The results showed an increase in the total number of leukocytes and eosinophils in the blood of infected and immunised animals at 18 days after infection. We observed a slight lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate in the portal space in all infected mice. Anti-OVA-IgE levels were detected in smaller proportions in the plasma of immunised and infected mice compared with mice that were only infected. Therefore, we concluded that T. canis potentiates inflammation in the lungs in response to OVA, although anti-OVA-IgE levels suggest a potential reduction of the inflammatory process through this mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Mauricio Grecco
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Zaia
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sandra Regina Pereira de
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cynthia Aparecida de
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Edson Garcia
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Centro Universitário de Araraquara, Araraquara, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luis Gustavo S
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Monnazzi
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Peitl Filho
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Lúcia Helena
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Faccioli
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernanda de Freitas
authors.initials: Fde F
authors.lastname: Anibal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000469:parasitology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000469:parasitology; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000469:parasitology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D017166:Toxocara canis / Q000276:immunology*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D015848:Interleukin-5; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin