Parasite-specific antibody profile in the aqueous humor of rabbits with ocular toxocariasis

Abstract

Human ocular toxocariasis is diagnosed using ophthalmologic and immunologic examinations. Many researchers have suggested that intraocular parasite-specific antibody levels are indicative of ocular toxocariasis, but little is known about the time course of the changes in these levels. We therefore investigated the anti-Toxocara canis antibody profile in the aqueous humor in an animal model of ocular toxocariasis. We intravitreally injected T. canis larvae into the right eye of 4 rabbits; 2 rabbits were orally administered T. canis eggs. We collected serum, aqueous humor, and tear samples weekly and determined the serum and aqueous humor levels of anti-T. canis immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA, IgM, and IgE antibodies and the tear IgG antibody level by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The severity of vitreous opacity and the aqueous humor IgG levels (measured using optical density [OD]) changed concordantly in the larvae-injected eyes; the OD exceeded 0.1 from 2-4 weeks after infection and remained elevated during active intraocular inflammation. However, the aqueous humor IgG levels were also elevated in 6 out of 8 eyes without intraocular larvae in both groups, and were low in 1 eye with live intravitreal larvae. In contrast, the serum IgG and IgM levels and the tear IgG levels increased in all rabbits, regardless of the presence of intraocular inflammation. Vitreous opacity occurred in all intravitreally infected eyes, but significant histopathological evidence of retinal damage was not detected. Thus, besides the presence of intraocular larvae, some other factors in the host may be required for the development of retinal lesions.