Work

Serosurvey of Toxocariasis and Its Association With Allergic Asthma in Children: A Case–Control Study in Southwest Iran

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Evidence from multiple data sources indicates that toxocariasis might play a role in the allergic asthma in children. This case-control study investigated the connection between Toxocara seropositivity and allergic asthma. It also sought to identify the conventional risk factors associated with both asthma and Toxocara infection. In this case-control study, 200 allergic asthma children and 208 children with no history of allergic asthma were included as the healthy group. Sera samples were examined for specific anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies using a serological assay. The overall prevalence of toxocariasis was 6.9% among children. The seroprevalence of toxocariasis in asthmatic children and healthy children was 8% and 5.8%, respectively, with no significant difference (p-value = 0.373). In subgroup analyses based on sociodemographic, Toxocara infection seropositivity was significantly associated with two independent variables, including the father's occupation (p-value = 0.017) and soil contact in asthmatic children (p-value = 0.033). Our results showed a higher prevalence of Toxocara infection in asthmatic children compared to healthy controls, but this difference was not statistically significant. To gain a clearer understanding and comparison of Toxocara infection rates between asthmatic and healthy children, additional comprehensive studies with larger sample sizes and diverse detection methods using different antigenic sources are required.

Source: Parasite Immunology

DOI: 10.1111/pim.70005