Reintroducing captive giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) to the wild is the ultimate goal of their ex situ conservation. Choosing higher fitness candidates to train prior to release is the first step in the giant panda reintroduction program. Disease resistance is one important index of individual fitness and presumed to be related to variation at major histocompatibility complex genes (MHC). Here, we used seven polymorphic functional MHC genes (Aime-C, Aime-I, Aime-L, Aime-DQA1, Aime-DQA2, Aime-DQB1 and Aime-DRB3) and estimate their relationship with Baylisascaris schroederi (Ascarididae) infection in giant panda. We found that DQA1 heterozygous pandas were less frequently infected than homozygotes. The presence of one MHC genotype and one MHC allele were also associated with B. schroederi infection: Aime-C*0203 and Aime-L*08 were both associated with B. schroederi resistance. Our results indicate that both heterozygosity and certain MHC variants are important for panda disease resistance, and should therefore be considered in future reintroduction programs for this species alongside conventional selection criteria (such as physical condition and pedigree-based information).

将野生大熊猫圈养大熊猫（Ailuropoda melanoleuca）重新引入野外是其非原生境保护的最终目标。在大熊猫重新引入计划中，第一步是选择适合身体素质较高的人选，然后再进行训练。抗病性是个体适应性的重要指标之一，推测与主要组织相容性复合基因（MHC）的变异有关。在这里，我们使用了七个多态功能性MHC基因（Aime -C，Aime -I，Aime -L，Aime -DQA1，Aime -DQA2，Aime -DQB1和Aime -DRB3），并估计了它们与Baylisascaris schroederi的关系。（A螨科）感染大熊猫。我们发现，DQA1杂合大熊猫的感染频率低于纯合子。一种MHC基因型和一种MHC等位基因的存在也与schroederi感染有关：Aime -C * 0203和Aime -L * 08均与schroederi耐药有关。我们的结果表明，杂合性和某些MHC变体均对熊猫抗病性很重要，因此，应在今后的重引入计划中将此物种与常规选择标准（例如身体状况和基于血统的信息）一起考虑。