Effect of Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina egg antigens on induction of eosinophilia in animal model

Toxocara and Toxascaris are intestinal parasites of dogs and cats and Toxocara canis larva can develop eosinophilia in human body. In this study the effect of the antigens of eggs of Toxocara canis (T. canis) or Toxascaris leonina (T. leonine) on eosinophilia development was investigated. In this experimental study, 54 surrey mice were assigned to six groups. Case groups were injected with antigens of T. canis and T. leonina eggs. These antigens were injected either intraperitoneally without adjuvant or subcutaneously with Freund's adjuvant. To groups of mice as control groups underwent no injection. Each injection was repeated three times with an interval of two weeks and after each injection blood sample was taken from the mice and white blood cells in a blood sample were counted. Mean white blood cells consisting of lymphocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, monocytes, basophils in the groups injected with T. canis and T. leonina eggs were obtained in normal range compared with control groups and no difference was seen among the groups (P>0.05). Unlike Larvae of T. canis, antigen of T. canis and T. leonina eggs caused no change in eosinophil count in the studied mice. Therefore, further research is recommended in this regard.