Data from: Parallel telomeres shortening in multiple body tissues due to malaria infection

Several studies have shown associations between shorter telomere length in blood and weakened immune function, susceptibility to infections and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Recently, we have shown that malaria accelerates telomere attrition in blood cells and shortens lifespan in birds. However, the impact of infections on telomere attrition in different body tissues within an individual is unknown. Here, we tested whether malarial infection leads to parallel telomere shortening in blood and tissue samples from different organs. We experimentally infected siskins (Spinus spinus) with the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium ashfordi, and used real time quantitative PCR to measure telomere length in control and experimentally infected siskins. We found that experimentally infected birds showed faster telomere attrition in blood over the course of infection compared to control individuals (repeatedly measured over 105 days post infection). Shorter telomeres were also found in tissue of all six major organs investigated (liver, lungs, spleen, heart, kidney and brain) in infected birds compared with controls at 105 days post infection. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that an infectious disease results in synchronous telomere shortening in blood and tissue cells of internal organs within individuals, implying that the infection has induced systemic stress. Our results have far-reaching implications for understanding how short-term effects of an infection can translate into long-term costs, such as organ dysfunction, degenerative diseases and aging.