Ascaris lumbricoides infection and parasite load are associated with asthma in children

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Gerson Bragagnoli1, Maria Teresa Nascimento Silva

  • 1Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), Paraíba, Brasil. gersongb@terra.com.br.

Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
|July 16, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Ascaris lumbricoides infection in children shows a dual effect on asthma. Light infections appear protective, while heavy infections increase asthma risk and symptoms in low-income urban areas.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Immunology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The relationship between Ascaris lumbricoides infection and asthma is debated, often explored through the lens of the hygiene hypothesis.
  • This study aims to clarify the association between Ascaris lumbricoides and asthma in a specific population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between Ascaris lumbricoides infection and the prevalence of asthma and its symptoms.
  • To determine if parasite load influences this association.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study of 1,004 children in a low socioeconomic urban area in Brazil.
  • Asthma diagnosis via the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire.
  • Intestinal parasitosis and parasite load assessed using Ritchie and Kato-Katz techniques, respectively.

Main Results:

  • A light Ascaris lumbricoides parasite load was significantly associated with a reduced risk of asthma (OR = 0.41).
  • A heavy Ascaris lumbricoides parasite load was significantly associated with an increased risk of asthma (OR = 2.37).
  • These associations were consistent across most asthma symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • In low-income urban children, light Ascaris lumbricoides infection may be protective against asthma.
  • Heavy Ascaris lumbricoides infection is a risk factor for asthma development and symptom exacerbation in this population.
Abstract

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