BACKGROUND: Previous studies have indicated that there may be an association between infection by the intestinal protozoan Giardia lamblia and the expression of allergic disease. OBJECT: We evaluated a group of children who attended the Outpatient Clinic of the Children's Hospital in Caracas, Venezuela, a group in which both allergic disease and giardiasis were common. METHODS: We performed feces examination and measured total and specific serum IgE (immunoglobulin E) in these children. RESULTS: We found that 70% of the children infected with G. lamblia presented symptoms of allergy, in contrast to 43% of the non-Giardia parasitized group (P <.05). In addition, the G. lamblia parasitized children showed significantly higher levels of total serum IgE (1194 IU/mL) than the non-Giardia group (822 IU/mL) (P <.005). Children infected with G. lamblia showed higher levels of specific serum IgE antibody against food allergens compared both with the non-parasitized group (P <.0001) and children infected with parasites other than Giardia (P <.05). In contrast, IgE responses against the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were similar in all the groups studied. CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal a clear relationship between giardiasis and allergy, possibly because infection by this protozoon enhances sensitization towards food antigens, due to increased antigen penetration through damaged intestinal mucosa.
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have indicated that there may be an association between infection by the intestinal protozoan Giardia lamblia and the expression of allergic disease. OBJECT: We evaluated a group of children who attended the Outpatient Clinic of the Children's Hospital in Caracas, Venezuela, a group in which both allergic disease and giardiasis were common. METHODS: We performed feces examination and measured total and specific serum IgE (immunoglobulin E) in these children. RESULTS: We found that 70% of the children infected with G. lamblia presented symptoms of allergy, in contrast to 43% of the non-Giardia parasitized group (P <.05). In addition, the G. lamblia parasitized children showed significantly higher levels of total serum IgE (1194 IU/mL) than the non-Giardia group (822 IU/mL) (P <.005). Children infected with G. lamblia showed higher levels of specific serum IgE antibody against food allergens compared both with the non-parasitized group (P <.0001) and children infected with parasites other than Giardia (P <.05). In contrast, IgE responses against the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were similar in all the groups studied. CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal a clear relationship between giardiasis and allergy, possibly because infection by this protozoon enhances sensitization towards food antigens, due to increased antigen penetration through damaged intestinal mucosa.
Authors: B M Delfino; R G Campos; T M Pereira; S A S Mantovani; H Oliart-Guzmán; A C Martins; A M Braña; F L C C Branco; J A Filgueira-Júnior; A P Santos; T S Araújo; C S M Oliveira; A A Ramalho; P T Muniz; C T Codeço; M da Silva-Nunes Journal: Ecohealth Date: 2016-09-15 Impact factor: 3.184