Sex-Based Differences in Plasma Autoantibodies to Central Nervous System Proteins in Gulf War Veterans Versus Healthy and Symptomatic Controls

Overview

Journal Brain Sci

Publisher MDPI

Date 2021 Jan 27

PMID 33498629

Citations 7

Authors

Mohamed B Abou-Donia

Maxine H Krengel

Elizabeth S Lapadula

Clara G Zundel

Jessica LeClair

Joseph Massaro

Emily Quinn

Lisa A Conboy

Efi Kokkotou

Daniel D Nguyen

Maria Abreu

Nancy G Klimas

Kimberly Sullivan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Veterans from the 1991 Gulf War (GW) have suffered from Gulf War illness (GWI) for nearly 30 years. This illness encompasses multiple body systems, including the central nervous system (CNS). Diagnosis and treatment of GWI is difficult because there has not been an objective diagnostic biomarker. Recently, we reported on a newly developed blood biomarker that discriminates GWI from GW healthy controls, and symptomatic controls with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The present study was designed to compare levels of these biomarkers between men and women with GWI, as well as sex-specific effects in comparison to healthy GW veterans and symptomatic controls (IBS, ME/CFS). The results showed that men and women with GWI differ in 2 of 10 plasma autoantibodies, with men showing significantly elevated levels. Men and women with GWI showed significantly different levels of autoantibodies in 8 of 10 biomarkers to neuronal and glial proteins in plasma relative to controls. In summary, the present study addressed the utility of the use of plasma autoantibodies for CNS proteins to distinguish among both men and women veterans with GWI and other healthy and symptomatic control groups.

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RETRACTED: Abou-Donia et al. Sex-Based Differences in Plasma Autoantibodies to Central Nervous System Proteins in Gulf War Veterans versus Healthy and Symptomatic Controls. 2021, , 148.

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