The results of a nationwide study on the effect of doxycycline, an antibiotic, on Gulf War Syndrome were published in the July 20 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. A scientist involved in that study, Joel Baseman, Ph.D., chairman of microbiology and immunology, said that more research needs to be done to determine the exact cause of Gulf War Syndrome.
Gulf War Syndrome, a controversial medical issue whose existence has been hotly debated, consists of multiple symptoms such as chronic fatigue, insomnia, memory problems, joint and muscle pains, headaches and skin rashes. Previous studies have found that the syndrome has been affected by antibiotic use; however, scientists have reported being unable to reproduce these results.
The more than 490 participants, half of whom had taken doxycycline and half of whom had taken a placebo during the 18-month study, all tested positive for mycoplasmas in the bloodstream. The study concluded that the physical health and mycoplasma levels of veterans who took doxycycline were similar to the placebo group. The study participants came from 26 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs centers and two Department of Defense centers. Samples were analyzed in Dr. Baseman’s lab.
“As the study was designed, we did not see a significant change in people who took antibiotics,” Dr. Baseman said. “But that in no way precludes or even negates the possibility that Gulf War veteran’s illnesses are caused by mycoplasmas.”
Mycoplasmas are self-replicating, genetically streamlined bacteria that have an unusual plasma membrane and no cell wall and, therefore, differ significantly from all other bacteria. But it has been difficult to determine their virulence capabilities because of their complex structures, biological subtleties and abilities to elicit a spectrum of acute and chronic diseases. Mycoplasmas are common causes of tracheobronchitis and community-acquired pneumonia and have been linked to asthma, encephalitis, AIDS progression, malignant transformation, chromosomal aberrations, chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn's disease and various arthritides.
Dr. Baseman, who has studied mycoplasmas for more than 30 years, said the syndrome could have multiple etiologic causes and that more than one event, bacterium and/or viral agent could have contributed to its cause.
“This is a hugely complicated issue, especially since the primary exposure occurred more than 10 years ago, and we are looking for that proverbial needle in the haystack,” Dr. Baseman said. “This kind of research needs to be continued in order to understand the basis of the debilitating symptoms associated with Gulf War veteran’s illnesses.”
