Functional, biochemical, and histological biomarkers for immunocompetence in fish-eating birds of the Great Lakes
- Wright State Univ., Dayton, OH (United States). Dept. of Biological Sciences
- Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA (United States)
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Hull, Quebec (Canada)
The authors studied the effects of environmental contaminants on immune function and related biochemical and histological biomarkers in herring gulls (Larus argentatus) and Caspian terns (Sterna caspia) from the Great Lakes. An epidemiological analysis strongly supported the hypothesis that suppression of T-cell-mediated immunity was associated with high perinatal exposure to persistent organochlorines (primarily PCBs). Suppression of T cell function (measured by the phytohemagglutinin skin test) was most severe in colonies in Lake Ontario and Saginaw Bay for both species and in western Lake Erie (1992) for herring gulls. In herring gull chicks, the mass of the thymus decreased as liver EROD increased. Both species exhibited biologically significant differences among sites in anti-SRBC antibody titers, but there were few associations with organochlorines. In Caspian terns and, to a lesser degree, in herring gulls, plasma retinol decreased as organochlorines increased. In both species, plasma thyroxine concentrations differed significantly among sites, but there were no apparent associations with contaminants. Although thyroxine and retinol often are associated with immune function in laboratory studies, there were few consistent relationships between these variables and T-cell- and antibody-mediated immunity in this field study. These biochemical variables may be poor surrogate biomarkers for immune function in wild birds, although they are important indicators for other physiological systems. The histology of the thymus, bursa of Fabricius, and spleen were examined for developmental and functional abnormalities and the presence of infections.
- OSTI ID:
- 460495
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961149--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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