Human toxocariasis seroprevalence among patients with uveitis in Alborz Province, Iran.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE Toxocariasis, predominantly caused by Toxocara canis, is a common zoonotic parasitosis worldwide. Toxocara infection is a cause of vision impairment and blindness. The presented study investigates the frequency of antibodies against Toxocara among uveitis patients and the epidemiological factors associated with disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty-four patients with uveitis and 59 healthy subjects were studied. Anti-Toxocara antibodies status was determined in all serum samples using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and seropositive samples analyzed by Western blot (WB) technique. RESULTS The frequency of Toxocara canis infection was found to be significantly higher in uveitis patients, compared to healthy controls by the use of ELISA test, being 14.8% and 1.7%, respectively. From 8 seropositive samples, 5 (62.5%) patients exhibited Toxocara immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in response to Western blot, whereas in the control group, none were detected positive by Western blot. No significant difference was found between pet owners, nor between different places of residence. The seroprevalence to Toxocara among uveitis patients was significantly related to gender, age and medical diagnosis. The highest prevalence was found in patients with posterior uveitis (27.8%). CONCLUSIONS Anti-Toxocara antibody titers are associated with the risk of vision impairment -uveitis. The risk factor associated with Toxocara exposure identified in this study warrants further investigation.