Researchers unearth more evidence gulf war illnesses linked to toxins

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Researchers unearth more evidence gulf war illnesses linked to toxins

Gannett News Service

5-2-99

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WASHINGTON -- Science researchers in collaboration at three facilities have

uncovered evidence seemingly linking mysterious gulf war troop illnesses

with human genetic mechanisms that respond to toxic exposures.

The discovery was published Monday in the peer-reviewed science journal

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, a publication of the American

Society for Microbiology. It is important because it could hold clues of

human genetic response to not only the hazardous exposures soldiers faced in

the 1991 war with Iraq, but to several chronic diseases.

Since the gulf war, more than 110,000 troops -- almost one-sixth of those

who served -- have complained of health disorders that frequently include

rashes, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, depression, headaches, insomnia,

memory loss, breathing problems and gastrointestinal afflictions. Since the

epidemiological trail is cold, most military and medical scientists have

stopped looking for a ``silver bullet'' cause of the mystery symptoms.

The published discovery of a possible genetic marker for toxic exposures

involves rearranged RNA -- the messenger acid within a cell that, through

each human cell's 46 chromosomes, helps decode inherited genetic

instructions for the body. Chromosomes determine physical characteristics

such as sex, skin and hair color or the shape of your nose.

The rearranged RNA in the three-year study appears to originate in a

chromosome ``hot spot'' region known from previous research as susceptible

to genetic disruption, mutation or deletion, some of it in response to toxic

exposures similar to those encountered in the war.

For decades, scientists have believed any RNA outside the cell will

inevitably be chewed up by enzymes, but now they are learning RNA can occur

in cell-free fractions of the blood, called serum or plasma.

A research team from the Chronic Illness Research Foundation, the University

of Michigan School of Medicine and a Veterans Affairs Department facility in

ez, Calif., set out to identify the source of the novel RNA after the

team found it in the blood serum of half of the 24 sick gulf war veterans

tested.

When a control group of 50 healthy individuals outside the military --

matched for age and sex with the sick GIs -- was tested, none of the

rearranged RNA turned up.

The rearranged RNA found in the veterans' blood occurs only in an exact

region of chromosome number 22 -- a location scientifically referred to as

22q11.2. The new research suggests this chromosome region may be susceptible

to one, all or a combination of possible gulf war exposures that included:

Multiple vaccinations, low-level chemical warfare agents, experimental

drugs, organophosphate pesticides, insect repellants, petroleum fire

residues, dust, desert sand, diesel exhausts, anti-nerve gas pills and

depleted uranium radiation.

``Scientists have got to stop looking for a common bug and to start looking

for a common mechanism,'' said B. Urnovitz, principal investigator on

the project and the chief science officer of the Chronic Illness Research

Foundation. ``One common mechanism appears to be the rearranged RNA in the

blood -- but the way it got there is through different pathways and

different exposures.''

Urnovitz said current research studies in gulf war illness, cancer, AIDS and

multiple sclerosis are focusing ``on looking for common mechanisms rather

than causative agents.''

The ability to determine the sequence of rearranged genetic material is

important for identifying future contaminants and clusters of chronic

disorders.

For most of the chronic illnesses that crop up in gulf war veterans, ``there

is no cause and effect link that's been established,'' said Tuite III,

the research director for the foundation.

``With this, we are establishing a cause and effect mechanism -- we' re

starting to understand what it is the exposures cause and how they lead to

the diseases,'' he said.

Previously published research has demonstrated links between chromosome 22

damage and multiple myeloma cancer; juvenile rheumatoid arthritis;

hypothyroidism; purpura, a bleeding disorder; Di Syndrome, an immune

system birth disorder; and Goldenhar Syndrome, a birth defect babies of

several gulf war veterans have suffered.

The linking of chromosome 22 to the toxic exposures could lead to other

research, including identification of possible contaminants, the toxic

potential of environmental exposures, the monitoring of emerging infectious

diseases for their ability to ``swap'' genetic material in the RNA in

question, study of viral infections like hepatitis and HIV-1 that may affect

genetic rearrangement and the clinical search for medicines to lower the RNA

load in blood -- such as that already being done with HIV-1 and some other

retroviruses.

Other participants in the study were VA rheumatologist Higashida and

University of Michigan microbiologist H. .

In Michigan, the former Democratic chairman of the Senate committee that in

1993 and 1994 uncovered many of the gulf war exposures listed above,

W. Riegle, said, ``After long years of suffering by gulf war veterans, this

vital independent research may now finally lead us to possible methods of

treatment that can actually help sick vets and their families.''

JOHN HANCHETTE, Researchers unearth more evidence gulf war illnesses linked

to toxins. , Gannett News Service, 05-02-1999, pp ARC.