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Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, January 1999, p. 6-13, Vol. 6, No. 1
1071-412X/99/$00.00+0

Changes in Immune Parameters Seen in Gulf War Veterans but Not in Civilians with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Quanwu Zhang,1,2 Xia-Di Zhou,3 Thomas Denny,1,4 John E. Ottenweller,1,2 Gudrun Lange,1,5 John J. LaManca,1,2 Marc H. Lavietes,6 Claudia Pollet,1,6 William C. Gause,1,3 and Benjamin H. Natelson1,2,*

Center for Environmental Hazards Research, DVA Medical Center, E. Orange,1 and Departments of Neurosciences,2 Pediatrics,4 Psychiatry,5 and Medicine,6 University of Medicine and Dentistry---New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, and Department of Microbiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland3

Received 28 May 1998/Returned for modification 14 August 1998/Accepted 2 October 1998

The purpose of this study was to evaluate immune function through the assessment of lymphocyte subpopulations (total T cells, major histocompatibility complex [MHC] I- and II-restricted T cells, B cells, NK cells, MHC II-restricted T-cell-derived naive and memory cells, and several MHC I-restricted T-cell activation markers) and the measurement of cytokine gene expression (interleukin 2 [IL-2], IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, gamma interferon [IFN-gamma ], and tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-alpha ]) from peripheral blood lymphocytes. Subjects included two groups of patients meeting published case definitions for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)---a group of veterans who developed their illness following their return home from participating in the Gulf War and a group of nonveterans who developed the illness sporadically. Case control comparison groups were comprised of healthy Gulf War veterans and nonveterans, respectively. We found no significant difference for any of the immune variables in the nonveteran population. In contrast, veterans with CFS had significantly more total T cells and MHC II+ T cells and a significantly higher percentage of these lymphocyte subpopulations, as well as a significantly lower percentage of NK cells, than the respective controls. In addition, veterans with CFS had significantly higher levels of IL-2, IL-10, IFN-gamma , and TNF-alpha than the controls. These data do not support the hypothesis of immune dysfunction in the genesis of CFS for sporadic cases of CFS but do suggest that service in the Persian Gulf is associated with an altered immune status in veterans who returned with severe fatiguing illness.

* Corresponding author. Present address: Fatigue Research Center (127A), VA Medical Center, E. Orange, NJ 07018. Phone: (973) 676-1000. Fax: (973) 676-4661. E-mail: bhn{at}nbunj.jvnc.net.

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, January 1999, p. 6-13, Vol. 6, No. 1
1071-412X/99/$00.00+0


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