Toxocara canis y asma bronquial

in order to evaluate the association between the infection by toxocara canis and the symptoms of asthma in children from a subtropical region with high prevalence of toxocariasis, 47 asthmatic children and 53 non-asthmatics as a control group were studied. a complete physical examination was performed and clinical and epidemiological data were registered. in asthmatic children the frequency and severity of symptoms were classified in grades i to iv. the presence of anti-toxocara canis antibodies in both groups was evaluated employing a solid phase elisa method with excretion/secretion antigens, and total ig e was also measured. results showed a total seropositivity of 55%, 57.4% in children with asthma and 52.8% in the control group. among asthmatics with severe symptoms (grade ii, iii and iv), there was a 67.7% of seropositivity while in children with symptoms of grade i there was a 37.5% (p = 0.0470). the infection with t. canis could act as a co-factor increasing the severity of the symptoms of bronchial asthma.