Frequency of Toxocara Antibodies in Patients Clinically Suspected to Ocular Toxocariasis, Northeast of Iran

Abdolmajid Fata; Seyedeh Maryam Hosseini; Se Joon Woo; Se Joon Woo; Mohammad Zibaei; Fariba Berenji; Bibi Razieh  Hosseini Farash; Elham Moghaddas

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v16i2.6312

Abdolmajid Fata Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Seyedeh Maryam Hosseini Eye Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Se Joon Woo Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea
Se Joon Woo Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea
Mohammad Zibaei Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
Fariba Berenji Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Bibi Razieh Hosseini Farash Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Elham Moghaddas Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v16i2.6312

Abstract

Background: Human toxocariasis is a neglected parasitic disease in most countries including Iran. Among different clinical forms of toxocariasis, ocular toxocariasis (OT) is an important disease resulting in severe vision loss. However, the prevalence and incidence of OT are currently unclear in Iran. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ocular toxocariasis among patients with uveitis in the Northeast of Iran.

Methods: From 2015 to 2017, 510 patients with uveitis referred to Khatam-al-Anbia, a tertiary eye hospital at Mashhad, Iran were examined for OT. Serum samples of the suspected patients were obtained and evaluated for IgG against Toxocara canis using ELISA test. Anti-Toxocara IgG positive serums were further investigated using confirmatory Western blotting (WB) analysis.

Results: Twenty patients had pathologic changes and clinical presentations in the anterior and posterior segments of their eyes and they were clinically diagnosed ocular toxocariasis. Among the 20 patients, 2 (10%) patients showed IgG antibody against Toxocara canis on ELISA as well as on WB test. The calculated prevalence of ocular toxocariasis was about 0.4%.

Conclusion: Ocular toxocariasis can be diagnosed both clinically and serologically in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. Although OT is a rare pathologic eye disease, it should be considered as one of the important cause of infectious posterior uveitis.