Production of interleukins 4 and 10 in children with hepatic involvement in the course of Toxocara spp. infection

Summary Toxocara spp. infestations present with a wide spectrum of symptoms, from general inflammation of internal organs with eosinophilic granuloma formulation through ocular or brain involvement. There is also an asymptomatic form. The known factors that influence the clinical form of the disease are the intensity of the infestation, the localization of the larvae, the age of the patient, the efficiency of the immune system and the history of reinfection. The aim of our study was to evaluate the production of interleukins 4 (IL‐4) and 10 (IL‐10) in children in the course of Toxocara spp. infections with hepatic involvement. The analysis of peripheral leucocytes, eosinophils, immunoglobulin E, and IL‐4 and IL‐10 concentrations presented significantly higher values in children with radiologically confirmed liver granuloma than in uncomplicated hepatomegaly. Based on statistical analysis, we confirmed the IL‐4/IL‐10 ratio variation in the analysed groups: patients with liver lesions showed a ratio of 2. The relevant analysis confirmed a positive statistical correlation in both seropositive groups for IgE and IL‐4, and only in the granuloma group for IgE and IL‐10.