Meeting Abstract
The phytohemagglutinin (PHA) skin test is commonly used in ecology to assess the cell-mediated immune function of wild animals, as it can be performed quickly and easily in the field. The nature of the immune response stimulated by PHA skin injection has been studied in many taxa, including mammals, birds, and one amphibian species, but has not been validated in any reptile species. Additionally, there are multiple formulations of PHA used, with potentially differing effects, making it difficult to compare studies. We validated the PHA skin test by comparing the effects of two different forms of PHA in the green anole (Anolis carolinensis). At 0, 6, 18, 24, and 48 hours after injection with PHA or a vehicle control, we measured the swelling of the foot, the systemic immune response via a white blood cell count, and performed histological examination of the local immune response. To our knowledge, this is the first study to simultaneously examine local and systemic immune responses to PHA injection. We expect this to provide a more thorough understanding of the effects of PHA on the immune system and, in particular, what aspects of the cell-mediated immune response are stimulated by PHA injection in reptiles.
