After more than three decades of uncertainty surrounding the origins of Gulf War Illness, veterans of the Persian Gulf War finally have some answers. A recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives sheds light on the long-standing mystery, attributing the chronic symptoms to the use of sarin nerve gas during the conflict in the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations.
Gulf War Illness, also recognized as Gulf War Syndrome, is a persistent ailment afflicting numerous veterans who served in the Persian Gulf between 1990 and 1991. This condition is characterized by a range of symptoms, varying in severity among individuals. The disorder is estimated to impact around 250,000 out of the 697,000 U.S. veterans deployed to Kuwait, while approximately 33,000 U.K. Gulf War veterans are believed to be affected, according to the Royal British Legion.
Despite its prevalence, researchers have struggled to definitively identify the underlying cause of Gulf War Illness. For years, some assumed it was psychosomatic in nature, while others explored the possibility of exposure to depleted uranium, which was disproven in early 2021.
The breakthrough study, published on May 11, 2022, in Environmental Health Perspectives, confirms that the illness is indeed linked to exposure to chemical warfare agents during the Gulf War, specifically sarin nerve gas. Sarin, a synthetic nerve gas, is both odorless and colorless, making it difficult to detect. It was originally developed by the Germans in 1938 as a pesticide.
The nerve gas was stockpiled by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein both before and after the Gulf War. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that nerve agents like sarin disrupt the proper function of an enzyme that acts as the body’s “off switch” for glands and muscles, resulting in constant stimulation of these systems.
The study, led by Dr. Robert Haley, a professor of internal medicine and director of the Division of Epidemiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, drew its conclusions from an analysis of 1,016 Gulf War veterans. Half of the participants had developed symptoms of Gulf War Illness following their service, while the other half had not.
Through blood and DNA samples and questioning about exposure to nerve gas alarms, the researchers discovered a strong correlation between exposure to sarin and the development of the illness, especially in those with a weaker variant of the PON1 gene. This gene is involved in breaking down toxic agents in the body, with two variants: Q, which produces an enzyme that breaks down sarin, and R, which is less effective against the nerve agent but can handle other chemicals.
According to SciTechDaily, individuals have two copies of this gene, resulting in RR, QQ, or QR genotypes.
For veterans with the QR genotype who had heard nerve agent alarms, the likelihood of developing Gulf War Illness increased by 4.43 times. Similarly, those with the QQ genotype saw their chances rise by 3.75 times. Veterans with the RR genotype faced the highest risk, with their odds of developing the illness increasing by 8.91 times. Those with the RR genotype and low-level exposure were over seven times more likely to fall ill.
It’s suspected that thousands of coalition troops, including those serving with the U.S. Armed Forces, may have been exposed to sarin and cyclosarin when a bunker at the Khamisiyah Ammunition Storage Depot in southern Iraq was destroyed. This event generated a plume of chemical agents that spread over a wide radius.
The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that about 100,000 servicemen could have been exposed to low levels of these nerve agents.
Gulf War Illness has been a contentious issue for years. In 1997, a Congressional investigation uncovered that the VA displayed little interest in identifying the root cause of the disorder and instead attributed its symptoms to stress and mental health problems. A report by the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight stated that both the VA and the Department of Defense demonstrated “arrogant incuriosity” and a tendency to regard a lack of evidence as proof that Gulf War Illness was not a legitimate concern, despite overwhelming evidence of symptoms.
