Seroprevalencia de anticuerpos IgG-anti Toxocara canis en pacientes infectados con el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana

Abstract

Human toxocariasis is a zoonosis caused by larvae of the nematodes Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. The prevalence of this disease in the immunecompromised population in Venezuela is unknown. To determine seroprevalence of antibodies IgG anti-T. canis, a descriptive study was carried out in serum samples of 80 HIV-infected patients from Bolívar state, previously confirmed by Western-Blot. The seropositivity of IgG antibodies to the excretory-secretory antigens of T. canis was determined by ELISA (Bordier Affinity Products®). A seroprevalence of T. canis infection was 3.6% (n = 3), in the age group 20-29 years (n = 2; 2.5%) and in the female sex (χ2 = 3.622; 1 gl, p = 0.05). The three HIV-positive patients referred contact with dogs. Two of them had more than 200 lymphocytes CD4+/mm3 and the other less of 100 lymphocytes CD4+/mm3. All were heterosexual. Clinical demonstrations of neither Visceral Larva Migrans Syndrome nor Ocular Syndrome Larva Migrans were shown. The infection by T. canis in the evaluated population is low; nevertheless, it represents a potential problem for health and therefore should be investigated in all immunecompromised patients with associated risk factors.