Relationship between Ascaris lumbricoides Infection and Bronchial Asthma in Juhayna City, Sohag, Upper Egypt

Abstract

Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflamatory disorder of the airways characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness and reversible airflow obstruction that fluctuates over time. Parasitic infection is one of the environmental factors associated with a small increase in bronchial asthma risk. In the present study, 200 stool samples were collected from patients suffering from bronchial asthma and 200 stool samples from non-asthmatic healthy volunteers as control group. The collected samples were preserved in 10%formalin and examined macroscopically, microscopically by direct smear and formol ether sedimentation test. It was found that 12 out of 200 cases (6%) wereinfected with Ascaris lumbricoides in asthmatic group and 2 out of 200 cases (1%) in control group with P-value = 0.007 * indicating statistically significant difference between cases and control group