Histological assessment of cellular immune response to the phytohemagglutinin skin test in Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) |
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Authors: | Amy S Turmelle James A Ellison Mary T Mendonça Gary F McCracken |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA;(2) Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA;(3) Present address: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, NE, Mailstop G-33, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA |
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Abstract: | Bats are known reservoirs for numerous emerging infectious diseases, occupy unique ecological niches, and occur globally except
for Antarctica. Given their impact on human and agricultural health, it is critical to understand the mechanisms underlying
immunocompetence in this reservoir host. To date, few studies have examined immune function in the Order Chiroptera, particularly
among natural colonies of bats. The phytohemagglutinin (PHA) skin test has been widely used to measure delayed-type cellular
immune response in a wide variety of vertebrates, and has been routinely employed in immunoecological studies. Although this
test is frequently described as a measure of T cell proliferation, recent studies indicate it may represent a combination
of immune responses. In mammals, the immune response is differentially, temporally and spatially regulated, therefore, we
characterized the infiltrating leukocyte response to the PHA skin test in bats by examining a time-series of histological
sections from PHA and saline injection areas in 41 Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis). Results suggest that bats exhibit diverse leukocyte traffic within 6 h, and up to 24 h following subcutaneous PHA injection.
There was a significant presence of lymphocytes and neutrophils, as well as eosinophils, basophils, and macrophages observed
in the PHA-injected tissues, compared with saline-injected control tissues. We observed a highly significant negative correlation
between the number of lymphocytes and neutrophils in PHA-injected tissue, with peak lymphocyte response at 12 h, and peak
neutrophil response at 24 h post-injection. These results indicate substantial variation in the immune response of individuals,
and may aid our understanding of disease emergence in natural populations of bats. |
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