The children were evaluated by a medical team composed of a doctor, a nurse and a laboratory technician, in a mobile clinic, that visited each study neighborhood, where blood was collected and skin prick testing for relevant aeroallergens was done. Heparinized blood was collected for differential blood cell counts using in an automated counter (Counter Electronics, Hialeah, FL, USA), for the preparation of plasma used for measurement of total and allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) and IgG antibodies against specific pathogens, including Toxocara spp, and for whole blood cultures for measurement of cytokines.