The Gut-Microbiome in Gulf War Veterans: A Preliminary Report

Patricia A. Janulewicz, Ratanesh K. Seth, Jeffrey M. Carlson, Joy Ajama, Emily Quinn, Timothy Heeren, Nancy Klimas, Steven M. Lasley, Ronnie D. Horner, Kimberly Sullivan and Saurabh Chatterjee
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Patricia A. Janulewicz: Environmental Health Department, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Ratanesh K. Seth: Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
Jeffrey M. Carlson: Environmental Health Department, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Joy Ajama: Environmental Health Department, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Emily Quinn: Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Timothy Heeren: Biostatistics Department, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Nancy Klimas: Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, 3200 South University Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
Steven M. Lasley: Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, Peoria, IL 61605, USA
Ronnie D. Horner: Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
Kimberly Sullivan: Environmental Health Department, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Saurabh Chatterjee: Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic multi-symptom disorder affecting the central nervous system (CNS), immune and gastrointestinal (GI) systems of Gulf War veterans (GWV). We assessed the relationships between GWI, GI symptoms, gut microbiome and inflammatory markers in GWV from the Boston Gulf War Illness Consortium (GWIC). Three groups of GWIC veterans were recruited in this pilot study; GWV without GWI and no gastrointestinal symptoms (controls), GWV with GWI and no gastrointestinal symptoms (GWI-GI), GWV with GWI who reported gastrointestinal symptoms (GW+GI). Here we report on a subset of the first thirteen stool samples analyzed. Results showed significantly different gut microbiome patterns among the three groups and within the GWI +/−GI groups. Specifically, GW controls had a greater abundance of firmicutes and the GWI+GI group had a greater abundance of the phyla bacteroidetes, actinobacteria, euryarchaeota, and proteobacteria as well as higher abundances of the families Bacteroidaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, and Bifidobacteriaceae. The GWI+GI group also showed greater plasma levels of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-RI and they endorsed significantly more chemical weapons exposure during the war and reported significantly greater chronic pain, fatigue and sleep difficulties than the other groups. Studies with larger samples sizes are needed to confirm these initial findings.

Keywords: Gulf War illness; microbiome; Gulf War; veterans; inflammation; cytokines; exposure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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