DAV Magazine — July/August 2016
Gulf War Illness is REAL
Research consortium publishes main causes of illnesses impacting Persian Gulf War veterans
As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait and Operation Desert Storm, it’s important to remember that while the operation was a stunning military victory, an estimated 30 percent of the 700,000 deployed U.S. forces contracted a debilitating illness after the conflict.
Soon after returning home from the desert, many service members reported symptoms of unexplained and widespread pain, fatigue, cognitive problems, skin rashes, and gastrointestinal and respiratory issues among other ailments. Initially referred to as “Gulf War Syndrome,” this chronic multisymptom disorder is now called “Gulf War Illnesses” (GWI) by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
What causes Gulf War Illnesses?
A team of researchers from several academic and professional disciplines recently published new findings related to GWI, including the main causes.
“The most significant finding in this review paper is that we have confirmed that Gulf War Illness is a real disorder caused by chemical exposures that veterans experienced during the war, including pesticides and pyridostigmine bromide (PB) antinerve gas pills and possibly also sarin nerve gas exposure,” said Dr. Kimberly Sullivan, research assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health and researcher with the Gulf War Illness Consortium (GWIC).
“Recent studies showed that Gulf War-related chemicals caused chronic inflammation in the Brain in animal models by releasing hundreds-fold higher chemical messengers called cytokines. Preliminary studies with Gulf War veterans also show increased signaling of these cytokine chemical messengers that were associated with their GWI symptoms,” she said.
Treatment progress
Another finding is how progress is being made regarding treatment of GWI.
“It became clear during our review of the studies on GWI that the animal models and clinical work with Gulf War veterans is now converging in a way that we haven’t seen in the past,” said Sullivan. “This indicates that our animal studies have now focused in a way that more accurately reflects what is happening with our veterans, including using animal models that show chronic effects versus short-term effects from Gulf War exposures.”
Sullivan said knowing more about chronic effects and short-term effects of the illness allows researchers combatting GWI to develop specific, targeted treatments in animal models before choosing the best treatments in clinical studies to provide to veterans suffering from GWI.
“This will save time and expense by targeting only the most promising treatments for our ill Gulf War veterans,” Sullivan said.
Why does GWI affect some, but not all, Gulf War veterans?
Genetics may be a major factor in GWI, according to the new research.
“GWI impacts some veterans but not others because of individual genetic abilities to process these deployment-related chemical exposures,” Sullivan said.
Researchers with the GWIC concluded gene-exposure studies prove people who are genetically predisposed to be better than others at processing things like PB anti-nerve agent pill chemicals are 40 times more likely to develop GWI than those with a different genetic makeup. This was not widely known prior to the publishing of the new study because precise data had not been collected regarding specific, individual genetic makeups coupled with chemical exposures encountered by Gulf War veterans. This aspect of the study by GWIC revealed the pattern.
What’s next?
Sullivan said the next waypoint in treating GWI is continued research and further study to ratify these promising developments.
“The next steps in combatting GWI [are] to confirm these cytokine and other biomarkers of illness using brain imaging and blood markers and to target the most promising treatments for GWI,” she said.
According to the VA, between 175,000 and 210,000 Gulf War veterans suffer from symptoms associated with GWI.
“This study by the Gulf War Illness Consortium sheds new light on issues affecting many men and women who served in the Persian Gulf region,” said DAV National Headquarters Executive Director Barry Jesinoski. “DAV will continue to advocate on behalf of veterans and their families who were exposed to neurotoxicants, nerve agents and medications that altered their lives.
“While this conflict is now a quarter-century old, we can never forget the sacrifice made by these men and women who reminded the entire world freedom comes at a price, which is often shouldered by very few,” Jesinoski said.
As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait and Operation Desert Storm, it’s important to remember that while the operation was a stunning military victory, an estimated 30 percent of the 700,000 deployed U.S. forces contracted a debilitating illness after the conflict.
Soon after returning home from the desert, many service members reported symptoms of unexplained and widespread pain, fatigue, cognitive problems, skin rashes, and gastrointestinal and respiratory issues among other ailments. Initially referred to as “Gulf War Syndrome,” this chronic multisymptom disorder is now called “Gulf War Illnesses” (GWI) by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
What causes Gulf War Illnesses?
A team of researchers from several academic and professional disciplines recently published new findings related to GWI, including the main causes.
“The most significant finding in this review paper is that we have confirmed that Gulf War Illness is a real disorder caused by chemical exposures that veterans experienced during the war, including pesticides and pyridostigmine bromide (PB) antinerve gas pills and possibly also sarin nerve gas exposure,” said Dr. Kimberly Sullivan, research assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health and researcher with the Gulf War Illness Consortium (GWIC).
“Recent studies showed that Gulf War-related chemicals caused chronic inflammation in the Brain in animal models by releasing hundreds-fold higher chemical messengers called cytokines. Preliminary studies with Gulf War veterans also show increased signaling of these cytokine chemical messengers that were associated with their GWI symptoms,” she said.
Treatment progress
Another finding is how progress is being made regarding treatment of GWI.
“It became clear during our review of the studies on GWI that the animal models and clinical work with Gulf War veterans is now converging in a way that we haven’t seen in the past,” said Sullivan. “This indicates that our animal studies have now focused in a way that more accurately reflects what is happening with our veterans, including using animal models that show chronic effects versus short-term effects from Gulf War exposures.”
Sullivan said knowing more about chronic effects and short-term effects of the illness allows researchers combatting GWI to develop specific, targeted treatments in animal models before choosing the best treatments in clinical studies to provide to veterans suffering from GWI.
“This will save time and expense by targeting only the most promising treatments for our ill Gulf War veterans,” Sullivan said.
Why does GWI affect some, but not all, Gulf War veterans?
Genetics may be a major factor in GWI, according to the new research.
“GWI impacts some veterans but not others because of individual genetic abilities to process these deployment-related chemical exposures,” Sullivan said.
Researchers with the GWIC concluded gene-exposure studies prove people who are genetically predisposed to be better than others at processing things like PB anti-nerve agent pill chemicals are 40 times more likely to develop GWI than those with a different genetic makeup. This was not widely known prior to the publishing of the new study because precise data had not been collected regarding specific, individual genetic makeups coupled with chemical exposures encountered by Gulf War veterans. This aspect of the study by GWIC revealed the pattern.
What’s next?
Sullivan said the next waypoint in treating GWI is continued research and further study to ratify these promising developments.
“The next steps in combatting GWI [are] to confirm these cytokine and other biomarkers of illness using brain imaging and blood markers and to target the most promising treatments for GWI,” she said.
According to the VA, between 175,000 and 210,000 Gulf War veterans suffer from symptoms associated with GWI.
“This study by the Gulf War Illness Consortium sheds new light on issues affecting many men and women who served in the Persian Gulf region,” said DAV National Headquarters Executive Director Barry Jesinoski. “DAV will continue to advocate on behalf of veterans and their families who were exposed to neurotoxicants, nerve agents and medications that altered their lives.
“While this conflict is now a quarter-century old, we can never forget the sacrifice made by these men and women who reminded the entire world freedom comes at a price, which is often shouldered by very few,” Jesinoski said.
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