Korean J Parasitol.  2016 Jun;54(3):335-338. 10.3347/kjp.2016.54.3.335.

Seropositivity of Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara spp. in Children with Cryptogenic Epilepsy, Benha, Egypt

Affiliations
  • 1Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt. maysa.hassan@fmed.bu.edu.eg
  • 2Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13518, Egypt.
  • 3Medical Parasitology Department, College of Medicine, Taif University, K.S.A.

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the possible association of Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara spp. infections with cryptogenic epilepsy in children. The study was carried out between June 2014 and March 2015. Total 90 children (40 with cryptogenic epilepsy, 30 with non-cryptogenic epilepsy, and 20 healthy control children) were evaluated to determine the anti-Toxocara and anti-T. gondii IgG seropositivity using ELISA kits. Epileptic cases were selected from those attending the pediatrics outpatient clinic of Benha University Hospital, Pediatrics Neurology Unit, and from Benha Specialized Hospital of children. The results showed that the level of anti-T. gondii IgG seropositivity was significantly higher among children with cryptogenic epilepsy (20%) than among children with non-cryptogenic children (0%). In healthy controls (10%), there was no association between toxocariasis seropositivity and cryptogenic epilepsy (only 5.7%; 4 out of 70 cases) among cases and 10% (2 out of 20) among controls. Among toxocariasis IgG positive cases, 3 (7.5%) were cryptogenic, and only 1 (3.3%) was non-cryptogenic. These statistically significant results support the association between T. gondii infection and cryptogenic epilepsy while deny this association with toxocariasis.

Keyword

Toxoplasma; Toxocara; child; cryptogenic epilepsy; seropositivity; Egypt

MeSH Terms

Ambulatory Care Facilities
Child*
Egypt*
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Epilepsy*
Humans
Immunoglobulin G
Neurology
Pediatrics
Toxocara*
Toxocariasis
Toxoplasma*
Immunoglobulin G
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