MEDICAL STUDY: Metro DC Gulf War Veterans Needed

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) -- Metro Washington, DC healthy and ill Veterans of the 1991 Gulf War are needed for a new medical study at Georgetown University comparing genetic and other differences between those suffering from Gulf War illness and their healthy Gulf War veteran counterparts.

The study, being led by Dr. James Baraniuk, M.D., will compare ill Gulf War veterans genetic material to that of their healthy counterparts. Among the study's goals is to develop a better understanding of how Gulf War illness affects the human body -- particularly the central nervous system.

Specifically, the study will investigate variations in the CNDP1 (Carnosine dipeptidase 1) gene that encodes a particular protein in the brain believed to be relevant to the progression of Gulf War illness.

In an October 2008 presentation about his research, Dr. Baraniuk said:

Dr. Baraniuk has also conducted research on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), and hypothesizes that Gulf War veterans with greater fatigue and other symptoms will have more of certain biological markers in their genetic material.

The study will involve collecting genetic samples of volunteers participants, including a mouth (cheek) swab, urine and blood samples, and a professionally conducted spinal tap to collect a small sample of critically important cerebro-spinal (CSF) fluid.

Volunteers will need to remain at the study site for a few hours, and will be compensated for their participation. Most importantly, this study will help advance the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of Gulf War illness, which affects between 175,000 and 210,000 of the 696,842 veterans of the 1991 Gulf War.

The study was funded through a peer- and Gulf War veteran-recommended grant from Congressional appropriations to the U.S. Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.

Health and ill veterans of the 1991 Gulf War who are interested in participating in the study should contact mailto:gwiresearch%40georgetown.edu?subject=NCT00810225,%202008-012,%20Study%20of%20Gulf%20War%20Illness%20%28GWI%29%20by%20Comparing%20GWI%20and%20Healthy%20Veterans, or call study coordinator Samantha Merck at (202) 687-8231 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST.

"Analysis of the fluid flowing from the brain will identify factors that may indicate the pathology of CFS to direct the creation of new treatments, and serve as diagnostic biomarkers for future testing."