Fecal antibody levels as a noninvasive method for measuring immunity to gastrointestinal nematodes in ecological studies

Ecology and Evolution
K A WattTom N McNeilly

Abstract

Among-individual variation in antibody-associated immunity to gastrointestinal nematode parasites (GIN) is known be associated with life-history traits and vital rates in wild vertebrate systems. To date, measurement of levels of antibodies against GIN antigens in natural populations has exclusively been based on invasive blood sampling techniques. Previous work in laboratory rodents and ruminant livestock suggests that antibody measures from feces may provide a viable noninvasive approach. We measured total and anti-GIN antibodies of different isotypes (immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA and IgE) from paired samples of plasma and feces from free-living Soay sheep of different ages and sexes. We tested the correlations among these measures as well as their associations with body mass and Strongyle nematode fecal egg counts (FEC). Significant positive correlations were present among plasma and fecal anti-GIN antibody levels for IgG and IgA. Generally, correlations between total antibody levels in plasma and feces were weaker and not significant. No significant relationships were found between any antibody measures and body mass; however, fecal anti-GIN antibody levels were significantly negatively correlated with FEC. Our data clearly d...Continue Reading

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Citations

Apr 4, 2019·Integrative and Comparative Biology·Gregory F AlberyJosephine M Pemberton
Jan 14, 2020·American Journal of Primatology·Laurence R GesquiereElizabeth A Archie
May 6, 2020·PeerJ·Andrew S CookeJennifer A J Dungait
Nov 26, 2020·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Alexandra M SparksDaniel H Nussey
Jan 21, 2021·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Amy R SweenyAmy B Pedersen
Feb 9, 2021·Heliyon·Cornelius C SsemakaluAlexandra J Spencer
Jul 11, 2021·Ecology Letters·Julie GauzereJosephine M Pemberton
Jun 13, 2020·International Journal for Parasitology. Parasites and Wildlife·Kaia J TombakDaniel I Rubenstein
Sep 24, 2021·American Journal of Primatology·Verena BehringerJulia Ostner

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Datasets Mentioned

BETA
AHP949

Methods Mentioned

BETA
Protein Assay
ELISA
ELISAs
lavage

Software Mentioned

Kilda
R
R Core Team
Dryad

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