Antibodies to Squalene in Gulf War Syndrome*1

Antibodies to Squalene in Gulf War Syndrome*1




References and further reading may be available for this article. To view references and further reading you must purchase this article.


Pamela B. Asa1, Yan Cao and Robert F. Garry

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane Medical School, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112


Received 23 September 1999. Available online 25 March 2002.

Abstract
Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) is a multisystemic illness afflicting many Gulf War-era veterans. The molecular pathological basis for GWS has not been established. We sought to determine whether the presence of antibodies to squalene correlates with the presence of signs and symptoms of GWS. Participants in this blinded cohort study were individuals immunized for service in Desert Shield/Desert Storm during 1990–1991. They included 144 Gulf War-era veterans or military employees (58 in the blinded study), 48 blood donors, 40 systemic lupus erythematosus patients, 34 silicone breast implant recipients, and 30 chronic fatigue syndrome patients. Serum antibodies to squalene were measured. In our small cohort, the substantial majority (95%) of overtly ill deployed GWS patients had antibodies to squalene. All (100%) GWS patients immunized for service in Desert Shield/Desert Storm who did not deploy, but had the same signs and symptoms as those who did deploy, had antibodies to squalene. In contrast, none (0%) of the deployed Persian Gulf veterans not showing signs and symptoms of GWS have antibodies to squalene. Neither patients with idiopathic autoimmune disease nor healthy controls had detectable serum antibodies to squalene. The majority of symptomatic GWS patients had serum antibodies to squalene.

*1 We thank David L. Smalley, Ph.D. for advice and discussion. R.F.G. has been supported for work on autoimmune diseases by research grants from Autoimmune Technologies of New Orleans, Louisiana, and the NIH.

1 To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed at 6553 Cottingham Place, Memphis, TN 38120. Fax: (901)683-3938. E-mail: PMBA@aol.com.