Summary: Gulf War disease ( GWI), a severe stress problem affecting soldiers, is linked to biological variations in mitochondrial DNA. These variations, which are inherited through the maternal collection, look to predispose some people to more serious GWI symptoms following exposure to environmental toxins.
The research suggests that nuclear dysfunction, rather than swelling, is the key drivers of the illness. These results may also have wider implications for the study of other conditions that are caused by environmental causes, such as Parkinson’s disease.
Important Information:
- GWI magnitude is related to inherited genetic variations in mitochondrial DNA.
- Veterans who had these variants experienced more intense symptoms after being exposed to harmful substances.
- The focus of the study shifts from mitochondrial function to disease.
Origin: UCSD
A first-of-its kind study from researchers at University of California San Diego has revealed that Gulf War illness ( GWI), a chronic fatigue illness affecting veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf War, is linked to genetic variants in mitochondria, the energy-producing structures of cells.
The results shed new light on how GWI, which is thought to be triggered by environmental contaminants, develops.
The results may also have an impact on conditions like Parkinson’s disease and some cancers varieties, which are caused by environmental triggers.
DNA from cells is passed down through the paternal line rather than from both parents. The scientists discovered that mitochondrial DNA had inherited genetic variants that directly contributed to the magnitude of GWI.
Veterans with these genetic variations, which are known to be linked to other conditions involving nuclear difficulties, had significantly higher scores on tests of the severity of the Gulf War illness.
This suggests that those who have these variations may be predisposed to more severe indicators following a poisonous contact.
The study team’s conclusions support an emerging theory that, contrary to what is thought to be the accepted definition of GWI as an inflammatory disease, it is actually caused by mitochondrial function rather than disease.
About this information about research into the Gulf War Illnesses.
Author: Miles Martin
Source: UCSD
Contact: Miles Martin – UCSD
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Start exposure.
” Gulf war disease: a tale of two chromosomes” by Beatrice A. Golomb et cetera. BMC Research Notes
Abstract
Gulf war disease: a tale of two chromosomes
Introduction
Gulf War illness ( GWI ) is an environmentally-triggered chronic multisymptom illness typified by protean symptoms, in which mitochondrial impairment is evident. It is compared to accelerated aging. GWI has been linked to radioactive biology of digestion.
Objective
To determine whether greater GWI severity is related to mitochondrial ( mt ) haplogroup U, a heritable profile of mitochondrial DNA that has been linked to aging-related conditions, and to determine whether GWI severity is influenced by both mitochondrial and nuclear genetics. 54 submitting Gulf War soldiers gave details on GWI seriousness, of whom 52 had atomic DNA analysis, and 45 had both atomic and mitochondrial DNA assessments. GWI severity was predicted by a regression with robust standard errors as a function of mitochondrial genetics ( haplogroup U, previously associated with aging-related conditions ), or either of these factors.
Results
BChE “adverse” variants significantly predicted GWI severity ( β ( SE ) = 23.4 ( 11.4),  , p = 0.046 ), as did mt haplogroup U ( β ( SE ) = 36.4 ( 13.6),  , p = 0.010 ). In a model including both, BChE was no more important, but mt haplogroup U retained value ( β ( SE ) = 36.7 ( 13.0),  , p = 0.007 ). This is the first study to demonstrate that nuclear biology are related to veterans who served in the Gulf. Other information affirm a link to nuclear biology, making GWI however a “tale of two dna”.
