Title
Lack of evidence for Toxocara infection in Italian myelitis patients
Date Issued
01 January 2020
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Nicoletti A.
Cicero C.E.
Portaro G.
Giuliano L.
Patti F.
Sofia V.
Noh J.
Handali S.
Zappia M.
Publisher(s)
Springer
Abstract
Acute myelitis is a common neurological manifestation due to different causes, but in about 15–30% of cases its etiology remains unknown (idiopathic myelitis). Myelitis represents the most common manifestation of neurotoxocariasis, the infection of the human nervous system by larvae of the nematode Toxocara spp.; however, despite the high seroprevalence worldwide, its contribution to the burden of disease has not been assessed. We evaluated the presence of antibodies against Toxocara spp. in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from a sample of 28 patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic myelitis (N = 20) or encephalomyelitis (N = 8) who attended the Neurological Unit of the University Hospital of Catania, Sicily. Antibodies against Toxocara spp. were measured using a multiplex bead-based assay and Toxocara immunoblot using Toxocara canis excretory secretory antigens. All samples tested negative for the presence of anti-T. canis IgG antibodies. In this series, we found no evidence of a contribution of neurotoxocariasis to the burden of myelitis.
Start page
239
End page
241
Volume
41
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Parasitología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85069475136
PubMed ID
Source
Neurological Sciences
ISSN of the container
15901874
Sponsor(s)
This research was funded by the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia,” University of Catania, Italy (Piano Triennale di Sviluppo delle Attività di Ricerca Scientifica del Dipartimento 2016-18). National Institutes of Health R01AG002016
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus