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Lack of evidence for Toxocara infection in Italian myelitis patients

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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.

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Funding

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).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department G.F. Ingrassia, Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123, Catania, Italy

    Alessandra Nicoletti, Calogero Edoardo Cicero, Giacomo Portaro, Loretta Giuliano, Francesco Patti, Vito Sofia & Mario Zappia

  2. Department of Microbiology, School of Sciences, and Center for Global Health – Tumbes, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru

    Hector H. García

  3. Cysticercosis Unit, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurologicas, Lima, Peru

    Hector H. García

  4. Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    John Noh & Sukwan Handali

Authors
  1. Alessandra Nicoletti
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  2. Hector H. García
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  3. Calogero Edoardo Cicero
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  4. Giacomo Portaro
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  5. Loretta Giuliano
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  6. Francesco Patti
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  7. Vito Sofia
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  8. John Noh
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  9. Sukwan Handali
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  10. Mario Zappia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alessandra Nicoletti.

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Nicoletti, A., García, H.H., Cicero, C.E. et al. Lack of evidence for Toxocara infection in Italian myelitis patients. Neurol Sci 41, 239–241 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-019-04017-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-019-04017-9

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