Mitogenic response to Toxocara antigen and chemotactic defect in visceral larva migrans

K. Caldwell, M. Lobell and P. F. Coccia

A 3-year-old girl had the typical features of visceral larva migrans syndrome, including hypereosinophilia, recurrent pulmonary infiltrates, and elevated serum IgG, IgE, and isohemagglutinin titers. A marked mitogenic response of her cultured lymphocytes to Toxocara antigen but not to Ascaris antigen was found. A neutrophil chemotactic abnormality ot Escherichia coli culture filtrates and zymosan-activated sera was also demonstrated, which partially corrected after she was treated with diethylcarbamazine citrate.