Fw: Gulf War Illnesses Research ~ Mycoplasms

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From: " ilena rose " <ilena@...>

Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2001 2:20 PM

Subject: Gulf War Illnesses Research ~ Mycoplasms

> http://www.immed.org/illness/gulfwar_illness_research.html

>

>

> Gulf War Illnesses Research

>

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>

> Gulf War Syndrome or Gulf War Illness has been used to describe a

> collection of chronic signs and symptoms reported by U.S., British,

> Canadian, Czech, Danish, Saudi, Egyptian, Australian and other Coalition

> Armed Forces that were deployed to Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Over

> 100,000 American veterans of Desert Storm /Desert Shield (approximately

15%

> of deployed U. S. Armed Forces) returned from the Persian Gulf and slowly

> (6-24 months or more) and presented with a variety of complex signs and

> symptoms characterized by disabling fatigue, intermittent fevers, night

> sweats, arthralgia, myalgia, impairments in short-term memory, headaches,

> skin rashes, intermittent diarrhea, abdominal bloating, chronic

bronchitis,

> photophobia, confusion, transient visual scotomata, irritability and

> depression and other signs and symptoms that until recently have defied

> appropriate diagnoses (see publications). These symptoms are not localized

> to any one organ, and the signs and symptoms and routine laboratory test

> results are not consistent with a single, specific disease.

>

> Although there is not yet a case definition for Gulf War Illness, the

> chronic signs and symptoms loosely fit the clinical criteria for Chronic

> Fatigue Syndrome and/or Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Some patients have

> additionally what appears to be neurotoxicity and brainstem dysfunction

> that can result in autonomic, cranial and peripheral nerve demyelination,

> possibly due to complex chemical exposures. Often these patients have been

> diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome (MCS) or

> Organophosphate-Induced Delayed Neurotoxicity (OPIDN). Chemically exposed

> patients can be treated by removal of offending chemicals from the

> patient's environment, depletion of chemicals from the patient's system

and

> treatment of the neurotoxic signs and symptoms caused by chemical

> exposure(s). A rather large subset (~40%) of GWI patients have

> transmittible infections, including mycoplasmal and possibly other chronic

> bacterial infections, that have resulted in the appearance of GWI in

> immediate family members and civilians in the Gulf region. It is likely

> that veterans of the Gulf War who are ill with GWI owe their illnesses to

a

> variety of exposures: (a) chemical mixtures, primarily organophosphates,

> antinerve agents and possibly nerve agents, ( radiological sources,

> primarily depleted uranium and possibly fallout from destroyed nuclear

> reactors, and © biological sources, primarily bacteria, viruses and

> toxins, before, during and after the conflict. Such exposures can result

in

> poorly defined chronic illnesses, but these illnesses can be treated if

> appropriate diagnoses are forthcoming.

>

> Studies on Gulf War Illnesses: Chronic Infections

>

> Identification of Mycoplasmal Infections in Gulf War Illness Patients:

> Scientists at The Institute for Molecular Medicine have found that

slightly

> under one-half of the very sick Gulf War Illness patients in a pilot study

> with the signs and symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia

> have chronic invasive infections involving certain uncommon mycoplasmas,

> such as Mycoplasma fermentans (incognitus strain). This has now been

> confirmed in a large Department of Defense - Department of Veterans'

> Affairs clinical trial. Staff at The Institute for Molecular Medicine have

> recommended that these infections can be successfully treated with certain

> antibiotics, allowing the recovery of patients who have been long-term

> disabled. Similarly, in ongoing preliminary studies on Chronic Fatigue

> Syndrome and Fibomyalgia patients, we have found that a subset of patients

> have mycoplasmal infections that can be successfully treated with

> antibiotics, allowing patients to recover from their illnesses.

>

>

>

> Identification of Other Infections in Gulf War Illness Patients: The

> Institute for Molecular Medicine has been engaged in examining the blood

of

> Gulf War Illness, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia patients for

> chronic infections that could explain their clinical conditions. So far,

in

> preliminary research we have found that some patients have microorganism

> infections, such as those caused by Brucella or other bacteria. This line

> of investigation is now being actively pursued at the Institute.

>

> PUBLICATIONS

>

> 1

> Gulf War Illnesses-Causes and Treatments.

> Armed Forces Med. Develop. 2001; 2: 41-44.

> html doc

> 2

> Gulf War Illnesses: Role of Chemical, Radiological and Biological

Exposures

> War and Health, H. Tapamainen, ed., Helsinki , 2000

> html doc

> 3

> Chronic Fatigue Illness and Operation Desert Storm

> J. Occup. Environ. Med. 1996; 38: 14-16, 1995

> html doc

> 4

> Progress on Persian Gulf War Illnesses-- Reality and Hypotheses

> Int. J. Occup. Med. Tox., 1995; 4: 365-370

> html doc

> 5

> Diagnosis and Treatment of Mycoplasmal Infections in Persian Gulf War

> Illness-CFIDS Patients

> Int. J. Occup. Med. Tox. 1996; 5: 69-78

> html doc

> 6

> Mycoplasmal Infections and Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Illness (Gulf War

> Illness) Associated with Deployment to Operation Desert Storm

> International Journal of Medicine 1988; 1: 80-92

> html doc

> 7

> Chronic Fatigue Illnesses Associated with Service in Operation Desert

Storm

> Were Biological Weapons Used Against our Forces in the Gulf War?

> Townsend Letter For Doctors 1996; 156: 42-48

> html doc

> 8

> Hospitalization for Unexplained Illnesses Among U. S. Veterans of Persian

> Gulf War

> Emerg. Infect. Dis. 1998: 4: 707-709

> html doc

> 9

> Further Information About Persian Gulf War Health Questions--Reply

> International Journal of Occupational Medicine, Immunology and Toxicology

> 1996 ; 5 : 83-86

> html doc

> 10

> Doxycycline Treatment and Desert Storm

> Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) 1995 ; 273: 618-619

> html doc

> 11

> The Eight Myths of Operation Desert Storm and Gulf War Syndrome

> Medicine, Conflict & Survival 1977; 13: 140-146

> html doc

> 12

> Gulf War Illnesses: Complex Medical and Scientific and Political Paradox

> Medicine, Conflict & Survival 1998; 14: 74-83

> html doc

> 13

> Anthrax Vaccine: Controversy Over Safety And Efficacy

> Antimicrobics and Infectious Disease Newsletter (Elsevier Science) 2000 ;

> 18(1) : 1 - 6

> html doc

> 14

> The Anthrax Vaccine Controversy.

> Questions About its Efficacy, Safety and Strategy.

> The Medical Sentinel 2000; 5(2): 97 - 101

> html doc

>

> back to the top

> REPORTS

>

> 1

> Report from Kuwait: Gulf War Illnesses Strike Civilians and

> Veterans of the 1991 Gulf War

> Health Freedom News (1998) html doc

> 2

> Summary Of Persian Gulf War Illness Pilot Study On Mycoplasmal

> Infections In Veterans And Family Members html doc

> 3

> Brief Summary Of Possible Sources Of Chronic Infections Associated

> With Gulf War Illnesses

> The Institute for Molecular Medicine html doc

> 4

> Department of Veterans Affairs: News Release html doc

> 5

> Recent Publications of Prof. Garth L. Nicolson on Gulf War Illness,

> CFS [Myalgic Encepthalomyelitis or CFIDS], FMS, Rheumatoid Arthritis (From

> a Total of 510 Medical/Scientific Publications and 14 Books html doc

> 6

> Politics Interfere with Diagnosis and Treatment of Gulf War Illnesses

> Criminal Politics, January 1996; 1: 13-18 html doc

> 7

> The Enemy--From Within

> Criminal Politics, October 1996 html doc

> 8

> Gulf War Illness: Finally an Answer

> Popular Science Magazine, April 1999 html doc

> 9

> Death of the Anthrax Vaccine Program: Did this and other DoD

> vaccines cause Gulf War Illnesses? By Garth Nicolson and Mike

> Soldier of Fortune Magazine 2001 html doc

> 10

> Recommendations for Diagnostic Testing of Gulf War Illnesses by

> Garth Nicolson html doc

> 11

> Update on Gulf War Illnesses: Relationship to Fibromyalgia

> Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/M.E. and the Possible Role of Vaccines

> By Prof. Garth Nicolson, The Fibromyalgia Survivor, 2001 html doc

>

> back to the top

> TESTIMONIES

>

>

> 1

> Written Testimony of Dr. Garth Nicolson and Dr. L. Nicolson :

> Mycoplasmal Infections in Gulf War Illnesses

> President's Advisory Panel on Gulf War Syndrome, Washington D.C., August

> 14-16, 1995

> html doc

> 2

> Written Testimony Of Dr. Garth L. Nicolson and Dr. L.

> Nicolson, Committee On Government Reform And Oversight, Subcommittee on

> Human Resource and Intergovernmental Relations, United States House Of

> Representatives, April 2, 1996 html doc

> 3

> Written Testimony Of Dr. Garth L. Nicolson and Dr. L.

> Nicolson, Committee On Government Reform And Oversight, Subcommittee on

> Human Resource and Intergovernmental Relations, United States House Of

> Representatives, June 26, 1997 html doc

> 4

> Written Testimony Of Dr. Garth L. Nicolson Committee Of Veterans'

> Affairs Subcommittee on Benefits United States House Of Representatives,

> July 16, 1998 html doc

> 5

> Written Testimony Of Dr. Garth L. Nicolson Special Oversight Board

> For Department Of Defense Investigations Of Gulf War Chemical And

Bological

> Incidents U. S. Senate Hart Office Building SH-216, November 19, 1998

> html doc

>

> back to the top

>

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