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Toxocara seropositivity, atopy and asthma: a study in C uban schoolchildren
Author(s) -
Kanobana K.,
Vereecken K.,
Junco Diaz R.,
Sariego I.,
Rojas L.,
Bonet Gorbea M.,
Polman K.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
tropical medicine and international health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1365-3156
pISSN - 1360-2276
DOI - 10.1111/tmi.12073
Subject(s) - wheeze , asthma , medicine , atopy , allergy , odds ratio , toxocariasis , pediatrics , immunology , helminths
Abstract Introduction Evidence suggests that human toxocariasis ( HT ) could stimulate the onset of allergic diseases such as asthma. More specifically, in subjects having a hypothetical ‘atopic genotype’, HT could boost preexistent allergy symptoms. We tested the latter hypothesis in C uba, a country where both asthma and HT are prevalent. Material and methods In a group of C uban school‐aged children ( n = 958), we investigated the association of T oxocara seropositivity and atopic status with asthma. T oxocara seropositivity was diagnosed with ELISA and atopy by allergen skin prick test. Both physician‐diagnosed asthma and current wheeze, as determined by I nternational S tudy of A sthma and A llergies in C hildhood ( ISAAC ) questionnaire, were considered. Associations were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analyses, with either ‘physician‐diagnosed asthma’ or ‘current wheeze’ as outcome variable. Results 40.1% of the children were T oxocara seropositive. Prevalences were 21.7% for current wheeze and 32.7% for physician‐diagnosed asthma. The odds of having asthma were almost two times higher in atopic children, but only reached borderline significance ( OR =1.90, CI 95%: 0.95–3.80 for physician‐diagnosed asthma and OR =1.94, CI 95%: 0.98–3.85 for current wheeze). T oxocara seropositivity and physician‐diagnosed asthma were associated ( OR =1.51, CI 95%: 1.01–2.26). Moreover, in children without antibodies to T oxocara , being atopic was significantly associated with having physician‐diagnosed asthma ( OR =2.53, CI 95%: 1.63–3.90), while this association was not present in T oxocara positives ( OR =1.38, CI 95%: 0.82–2.37). Conclusion Our data confirm previous observations of higher T oxocara seropositivity rates in asthmatic children. T oxocara seropositivity appeared to abrogate the apparent association between atopy and asthma in C uban children. Although this observation was limited to physician‐diagnosed asthma, it challenges the hypothesis that HT stimulates the onset of allergic diseases such as asthma in atopic individuals.