1: J Clin Immunol. 2004 Jan;24(1):66-73. Links

Cellular immune activation in gulf war veterans.

Skowera A, Hotopf M, Sawicka E, Varela-Calvino R, Unwin C, Nikolaou V, Hull L, Ismail K, David AS, Wessely SC, Peakman M.

Department of Immunobiology, King's & St. Thomas' School of Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.

The etiology and pathology of illnesses related to the first Persian Gulf War are unclear. Among the constellation of symptoms noted in sick veterans, some, such as skin rashes, musculoskeletal pains, and neuropsychiatric problems, have been proposed to reflect an underlying immune dysfunction. In this study we explored the hypothesis that sickness following deployment to the Gulf in 1991 is associated with altered immune function, and we examine possible associated exposures. In particular, we focused on peripheral blood Th1/Th2 balance by measuring intracellular production of IFN-gamma, IL-2 (Th1), IL-4 (Th2), and IL-10 by CD4 T cells, using a nested case control study design within a large epidemiological survey. We compared symptomatic Gulf War veterans (sGWV) with well GWVs (wGWV), and a second control group of symptomatic veterans who served in Bosnia or were nondeployed military personnel of the same era. We found evidence for an altered immune status in sGWV in comparison to the other study groups. In particular, ongoing Th1-type immune activation was associated with multisymptom illness in GWVs, with sick veterans having significantly elevated levels of IFN-gamma and IL-2 producing CD4+ cells in the absence of in vitro stimulation compared with wGWVs ( P = 0.01 and P =0.001). In vitro polyclonal activation revealed significantly elevated levels of IL-10 producing memory CD4 cells in sGWVs ( P <0.001), but other cytokines were normal. In terms of possible exposures that might influence immune function, we found a trend for reduced levels of IFN-gamma producing cells after polyclonal activation with increasing numbers of vaccines administered ( P <0.05) but no changes in other cytokines. These data show that multisymptom illness in Gulf War veterans is characterized by ongoing Th1-type immune activation and a biased generation of memory cells secreting the suppressor cytokine, IL-10.

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from Donna, RE: Severe itching, rash, brought about by weird things Just a thought here; sometimes this kind of reaction can be a precursor to an auto-immune disorder, of which there are several, some not so good. Do a search on it and see if any of it may fit you.

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from Genabeena, "One more quick note- my immunologist does think that this is a sort of malfunction of my immune system and definitely not an allergy. Chronic cases are generally not thought to be allergy related at all (as I've gathered from my research). The way he explained it was that the hives are one of the body's natural defenses against illness, and although it can't be explained why this has happened, my immune system somehow went into overdrive and just keeps misfiring again and again."

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Good refresher at least. It may answer a few of the questions that you have to review this information.

Cynthia

PS: Remember that these two infiltrate the cell membrane and become part of the cellular structure of the cells, as opposed to viruses and bacteria which attach themselves to the outer wall of the cell.

What test did they run? was it with the VA? or did you have Garth Nicholson run it?

I need to know for my situation which avenue that I want to have my husband take. Nicholson's institute is here in California.
We have been hesitant to go, however, if the VA is now testing for it i need to know which test to ask for.

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Originally posted by Mother Margaret:
Does this fit?

May be an immune problem ... for the chemical that I've learned about, yes immune system is 'out of whack' I expect the fatigue to be acquired autoimmune hemolytic anemia, so your body (immune system) is killing off your own red blood cells prematurely. As long as bone marrow compensates it doesn't show up much in the red blood cell counts; but the immature red blood cells are low functioning. Check some of these sources of exposure to 2-butoxyethanol
Posted here: healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=144758&page=3&pp=5
www.valdezlink.com/hb/immune_problem_.htm 

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Hello from London UK,

INFLAMMATORY RASHES

There's a brief message posted to your group today about onchocerciasis at the Khamis Mushayt airbase (Saudi Arabia).

I just wanted to add that the most common presentation of onchocerciasis is pruritis, with or without an inflammatory rash.

The treatment is a single 12mg dose of ivermectin. Merck give the drug away for free all over the world which sometimes complicates getting hold of it. The WHO have dispensed over 250 million doses under control programmes without a report of a life threatening reaction, still less a fatality, so it's quite safe so long as you don't have loiasis - which you probably don't.

To control a rash caused by onchocerciasis, one needs to take ivermectin every 3 months, ideally with 100mg/day x 6-weeks doxycycline (to sterilise and degenerate the adult parasite).

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Originally posted by Pam:
Hello Mother Margaret, I want to explain my situation. The fatigue I experience comes after so much physical exertion(or mental stress). I can feel fine for a while, but fatigue sets in so I have to rest to recoup some of that energy. I have symptoms of CFS, in which the HPA axis has been found in these patients to be out of wack and my fatigue symptoms so closely resemble that more than anything. There hypothalumus-pituitary-adrenal hormonal response to exersize is low and sometimes acually zero. the majory are lacking in human growth hormone. Many have responded to very low doses of human growth hormone, expanding the lenght of time there stamina goes. Since my fatigue is not CONSTANT, but comes along with exersize, it seems highly unlikely that I have that red blood cell problem you often talk about.

Thanks for sharing, Pam

I spoke by phone this past week with a gulf war vet who said she had the wrong ratio of mature to immature red blood cells.

That a whole group of military cleaned the dirty vehicles returning from Saudi using DAWN for about 10 days straight and the whole group of them came down sick with 'flu-like symptoms'

I thought I posted on GWV forum, but can't find my post

On the other hand ... maybe it was deleted

I remember another military woman of 4 years service who drove a semi. She said that when the vehicles needed cleaning, she would get doused in soap and water just like the truck (then she clarified that it was DAWN) She has unexplainable health problems, too

The endocrine things you mention ARE a part of what the 2-butoxyethanol does.

Still, I would check the red blood cells next time you're having a blood test
www.valdezlink.com/doctors_need_medical_break-thru.htm