Effects of Intestinal Parasite Infection on Blood Protein Levels in Peromyscus maniculatus and Peromyscus leucopus

Abstract

The global burden of parasite infection is incredibly high, with two billion people being infected with parasitic helminths alone. The ability of an organism to deal with infection is likely one of the most important determinants of the organism’s reproductive success and fitness, yet the immunological defenses required to fight infection are costly. This study aims to examine the relationship between parasitic infection, serum protein levels, and body condition in a population of wild Peromyscus mice at the Mountain Lake Biological Station in southwestern Virginia. Specifically, I sought to determine how albumin, total protein, and the albumin-total protein ratio relate to body condition and other host traits, to determine the relationship between albumin, total protein, and parasite burden, and to determine how anti-helminthic treatment and the resulting decrease in parasite burden affects albumin and total protein concentrations. Peromyscus plasma samples were assayed for albumin and total protein to serum concentrations, Peromyscus fecal samples were examined with a fecal egg count, and a scaled body condition index was created for the population. General linear models and general linear mixed models were used to assess the relationships between the factors of interest. It was found that the total protein concentration and the albumin-total protein ratio are significantly related to the change in parasite burden in the host, and the relationship between protein levels and parasite burden is indicative of protein investment in the immune system during immune challenge.