Yonsei Med J.  2008 Apr;49(2):224-229. 10.3349/ymj.2008.49.2.224.

Toxocara Seroprevalence in Schizophrenic Patients in Turkey

• Kaplan M
• Kalkan A
• Kuk S
• Demirdag K
• Ozden M
• Kilic SS

• KMID: 1084494
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2008.49.2.224

Abstract

PURPOSE
To investigate the seroprevalence of toxocariasis in patients diagnosed as schizophrenia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-eight schizophrenic patients hospitalized at The Elazig Psychiatric Hospital were included in the study. Anti-Toxocara IgG and/or IgM antibodies were determined by using commercial Toxocara canis IgG and/or IgM ELISA kit. RESULTS: Seropositivity for T. canis was detected in 45 (45.9%) of 98 patients and 2 (2.0%) of 100 control subjects the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The seroprevalence was 40.4% (19 cases) and 51.0% (26 cases) for female and male subjects, respectively (p=0.3). When the seropositive and seronegative schizophrenic patients were compared with respect to the age group environment they were living in, occupation period of follow up and number of hospitalizations, there were no differences between the two groups (all, p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the schizophrenic state seems to present a high risk for Toxocara infection in Turkey.

Keyword

Toxocariasis; seroprevalence; schizophrenic patients

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Animals
Antibodies, Helminth/blood
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Female
Humans
Immunoglobulin G/blood
Immunoglobulin M/blood
Male
Middle Aged
Schizophrenia/*blood/parasitology
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Toxocara/*growth & development/immunology
Toxocariasis/*blood/epidemiology
Turkey/epidemiology

Reference

1. Garcia LS. Diagnostic Medical Parasitology. 2001. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Society for Microbiology. (ASM Press);309–312.

2. Nathwani D, Laing RB, Currie PF. Covert toxocariasis-a cause of recurrent abdominal pain in childhood. Br J Clin Pract. 1992. 46:271.

3. Magnaval JF, Glickman LT, Dorchies P, Morassin B. Highlights of human toxocariasis. Korean J Parasitol. 2001. 39:1–11.

4. Thompson DE, Bundy DA, Cooper ES, Schantz PM. Epidemiological characteristics of Toxocara canis zoonotic infection of children in a Caribbean community. Bull World Health Organ. 1986. 64:283–298.

5. Oge S, Oge H. Prevalence of Toxocara spp. eggs in the soil of public parks in Ankara, Turkey. Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr. 2000. 107:72–75.

6. Kaplan M, Kuk S, Kalkan A. Examination of Toxocara spp. in different playgrounds in Elazig. Firat Univ J Health Sci. 2002. 16:277–279.

7. Fenoy S, Cuellar C, Guillen JL. Serological evidence of toxocariasis in patients from Spain with a clinical suspicion of visceral larva migrans. J Helminthol. 1997. 71:9–12.

8. Radman NE, Archelli SM, Fonrouge RD, del V Guardis M, Linzitto OR. Human toxocarosis. Its seroprevalence in the city of La Plata. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2000. 95:281–285.

9. Holland CV, O'Lorcain P, Taylor MR, Kelly A. Seroepidemiology of toxocariasis in school children. Parasitology. 1995. 110:535–545.

10. Brook I, Fish CH, Schantz PM, Cotton DD. Toxocariasis in an institution for the mentally retarded. Infect Control. 1981. 2:317–320.

11. Huminer D, Symon K, Groskopf I, Pietrushka D, Kremer I, Schantz PM, et al. Seroepidemiologic study of toxocariasis and strongyloidiasis in institutionalized mentally retarded adults. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1992. 46:278–281.

12. Mohamed NH, Salem SA, Azab ME, Bebars MA, Khattab HM, Kamal AM, et al. Parasitic infections associated with mental retardation in Egypt. J Egypt Soc Parasitol. 1991. 21:319–331.

13. Kazacos KR. Improved method for recovering ascarid and other helminth eggs from soil associated with epizootics and during survey studies. Am J Vet Res. 1983. 44:896–900.

14. Ajayi OO, Duhlinska DD, Agwale SM, Njoku M. Frequency of human toxocariasis in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2000. 95:147–149.

15. Park HY, Lee SU, Huh S, Kong Y, Magnaval JF. A seroepidemiological survey for toxocariasis in apparently healthy residents in Gangwon-do, Korea. Korean J Parasitol. 2002. 40:113–117.

16. Jimenez JF, Valladares B, Fernandez-Palacios JM, de Armas F, del Castillo A. A serologic study of human toxocariasis in the Canary Islands (Spain): environmental influences. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1997. 56:113–115.

17. Dubinsky P, Akao N, Reiterová K, Konáková G. Comparison of the sensitive screening kit with two ELISA sets for detection of anti-Toxocara antibodies. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2000. 31:394–398.

18. Saglam MG. Evaluation of Toxocara canis occurrence by the ELISA method. 1999. Istanbul University, Institute of Health Sciences;Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Thesis.

19. Kaplan M, Gödekmerdan A, Kalkan A, Erensoy A, Ozden M. Toxocara canis Seroprevalence in Elaziğ suburb in Turkey. Firat Univ J Health Sci. 1999. 13:51–54.

20. Akao N, Chu AE, Tsukidate S, Fujita K. A rapid and sensitive screening kit for the detection of anti-Toxocara larval ES antibodies. Parasitol Int. 1997. 46:189–195.

21. Lynch NR, Wilkes LK, Hodgen AN, Turner KJ. Specificity of Toxocara ELISA in tropical populations. Parasite Immunol. 1988. 10:323–337.

22. Ishida MM, Rubinsky-Elefant G, Ferreira AW, Hoshino-Shimizu S, Vaz AJ. Helminth antigens (Taenia solium, Taenia crassiceps, Toxocara canis, Schistosoma mansoni and Echinococcus granulosus) and cross-reactivities in human infections and immunized animals. Acta Trop. 2003. 89:73–84.

23. Gillespie SH, Bidwell D, Voller A, Robertson BD, Maizels RM. Diagnosis of human toxocariasis by antigen capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. J Clin Pathol. 1993. 46:551–554.

24. Yamasaki H, Taib R, Watanabe Y, Mak JW, Zasmy N, Araki K, et al. Molecular characterization of a cDNA encoding an excretory-secretory antigen from Toxocara canis second stage larvae and its application to the immunodiagnosis of human toxocariasis. Parasitol Int. 1998. 47:171–181.

25. Malla N, Aggarwal AK, Mahajan RC. A serological study of human toxocariasis in north India. Natl Med J India. 2002. 15:145–147.

26. Yamasaki H, Araki K, Lim PK, Zasmy N, Mak JW, Taib R, et al. Development of a highly specific recombinant Toxocara canis second-stage larva excretory- secretory antigen for immunodiagnosis of human toxocariasis. J Clin Microbiol. 2000. 38:1409–1413.

27. Godekmerdan A, Serthatlioglu S, Kalkan A, Murat A, Kaplan M. Cases of extraintestinal ascariasis. Acta Parasitol Turc. 1999. 23:141–145.

28. Yilmaz M, Ay S, Kilic SS, Kokcam I. Distribution of intestinal parasites in school Elaziğ. Acta Parasitol Turc. 1989. 13:55–58.

29. Yilmaz M, Ay S, Orak S, Asci Z, Yucel AY. Distribution of intestinal parasites in street-sweepers and Meat-Fish Corporation staff in Elaziğ. Acta Parasitol Turc. 1989. 13:59–62.

30. Yilmaz M, Kokcam I, Ay S, Seckin N. Distribution of intestinal parasites in Elazığ Mental Hospital. Acta Parasitol Turc. 1989. 13:51–53.

31. Kaplan M, Kuk S, Kalkan A, Demirdağ K, Ozdarendeli A. Fasciola hepatica seroprevalence in the Elaziğ region. Mikrobiyol Bul. 2002. 36:337–342.

32. Alonso JM, Bojanich MV, Chamorro M, Gorodner JO. Toxocara seroprevalence in children from a subtropical city in Argentina. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2000. 42:235–237.