Total immunoglobulin E as a zooanthroponosis predictor in healthy volunteers: an observational study

Control of zoonotic infections common in animals and humans profoundly contributes to maintaining public health. The source of pathogens for humans is primarily presented by those animals with which they frequently come into contact during agricultural work, hunting, and gathering mushrooms or wild berries as well as in domestic settings (dogs, cats, other domestic animals, rodents). The study was conducted by the Center of New Medical Technologies, Novosibirsk, and involved 111 healthy volunteers. The specific immune response against the following zoonoses was analyzed: toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis, brucellosis, listeriosis, leptospirosis, and opisthorchiasis, based on specific IgG antibodies. Specific parasitic immune response was compared with the clinical data of the participants and blood IgE levels. Thirty-nine (35%) out of 111 participants had anti-parasitic IgG antibodies against the following zoonoses: leptospirosis, listeriosis, toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis, and opisthorchiasis. Among these 39 participants, 11 had antibodies specific to two or more zoonoses comprising 10% of the cohort. The IgE vs IgG level in the presence of any zoonosis significantly differed (p = 0.0001). Forty-seven participants had normal IgE levels, of whom 8 (17%) had IgG antibodies specific to one of the studied zoonoses. Sixty-four participants had elevated IgE levels, of whom 31 (48%) had IgG antibodies specific to one or more zoonoses, p = 0.001. The IgE level may be a predictor of the zoonoses in apparently healthy individuals at IgE level > 0.226 IU (area under the curve 0.73 [0.62–0.83], p = 0.0001; sensitivity 76%, specificity 62%). The identified diagnostic criteria for screening zoonoses can accelerate the differential diagnosis for conditions associated with non-specific complaints. Prospective randomized studies are needed to identify early pathology-related diagnostic criteria.