Immunodiagnosis of ocular toxocariasis using Western-blot for the detection of specific anti-Toxocara IgG and CAP for the measurement of specific anti-Toxocara IgE

J Helminthol. 2002 Dec;76(4):335-9. doi: 10.1079/JOH2002143.

Abstract

A prospective multicentric study was carried out to assess both the performance of Western-blot (WB) detecting specific anti-Toxocara IgG and that of CAP measuring specific IgE titre for the immunodiagnosis of ocular toxocariasis. For 14 outpatients presenting ophthalmic symptoms (choroiditis, chorioretinitis, papillar oedema, hyalitis, retinal detachment and/or uveitis), samples of serum and aqueous fluid (AF) were sent to the Department of Parasitology, University Hospitals, Toulouse, France. All patients but two tested positive with WB on the serum; 13 WB tests were performed on the AF, 12 of which were positive. The two patients who had a negative WB serum result tested positive for the AF. Specific IgE detection was considered as a complementary test of WB. Two patients showed a greater specific IgE titre in the AF than in the serum, and one had a positive result in the AF, but not in the serum. These six patients were considered as clear cases of ocular toxocariasis. Western-blot coupled with specific anti-Toxocara IgE detection appeared therefore to be an accurate procedure for the immunodiagnosis of ocular toxocariasis, provided the testing was simultaneously performed on the serum and AF.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Helminth / analysis*
  • Antibodies, Helminth / blood
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Aqueous Humor / immunology
  • Blotting, Western
  • Child
  • Eye Infections, Parasitic / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin E / analysis
  • Immunoglobulin E / blood
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Toxocara / immunology*
  • Toxocariasis / diagnosis*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Helminth
  • Immunoglobulin E