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Peng Y, Zhang Y, Wang W, Liu B, Zhang Z, Gong Z, Zhang X, Xia Y, You X, Wu J. Potential role of remimazolam in alleviating bone cancer pain in mice via modulation of translocator protein in spinal astrocytes. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 979:176861. [PMID: 39068975 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Bone cancer pain (BCP) is a complex clinical challenge, with current treatments often falling short of providing adequate relief. Remimazolam, a benzodiazepine receptor agonist recognized for its anxiolytic effects, has emerged as a potential agent in managing BCP. This study explores the analgesic properties of remimazolam and its interaction with the translocator protein (TSPO), previously known as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, in spinal astrocytes. In the context of BCP, previous research has indicated that TSPO expression in spinal astrocytes may serve a protective regulatory function in neuropathic pain models. Building on this, the BCP mice received various doses of remimazolam on the 15th day post-inoculation, and pain behavior was assessed over time. The results showed that BCP induced an upregulation of TSPO and astrocyte activation in the spinal dorsal horn, alongside increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling and inflammatory cytokine expression. Remimazolam administration resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of pain behaviors, which corresponded with a decrease in both ERK pathway activation and inflammatory factor expression. This suggests that remimazolam's analgesic effects are mediated through its action as a TSPO agonist, leading to the attenuation of neuroinflammation and pain signaling pathways. Importantly, the analgesic effects of remimazolam were reversed by the TSPO antagonist PK11195, underscoring the pivotal role of TSPO in the drug's mechanism of action. This reversal also reinstated the heightened levels of ERK activity and inflammatory mediators, further confirming the involvement of TSPO in the modulation of these pain-related processes. These findings open new avenues for the therapeutic management of bone cancer pain, positioning remimazolam as a promising candidate for further investigation and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Peng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Yuxin Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Biying Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Zuojing Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Zhihao Gong
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Zhang
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Yuefeng Xia
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Xingji You
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China.
| | - Jingxiang Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, China.
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2
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Kodali M, Madhu LN, Kolla VSV, Attaluri S, Huard C, Somayaji Y, Shuai B, Jordan C, Rao X, Shetty S, Shetty AK. FDA-approved cannabidiol [Epidiolex ®] alleviates Gulf War Illness-linked cognitive and mood dysfunction, hyperalgesia, neuroinflammatory signaling, and declined neurogenesis. Mil Med Res 2024; 11:61. [PMID: 39169440 PMCID: PMC11340098 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-024-00563-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic Gulf War Illness (GWI) is characterized by cognitive and mood impairments, as well as persistent neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Epidiolex®, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved cannabidiol (CBD), in improving brain function in a rat model of chronic GWI. METHODS Six months after exposure to low doses of GWI-related chemicals [pyridostigmine bromide, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), and permethrin (PER)] along with moderate stress, rats with chronic GWI were administered either vehicle (VEH) or CBD (20 mg/kg, oral) for 16 weeks. Neurobehavioral tests were conducted on 11 weeks after treatment initiation to evaluate the performance of rats in tasks related to associative recognition memory, object location memory, pattern separation, and sucrose preference. The effect of CBD on hyperalgesia was also examined. The brain tissues were processed for immunohistochemical and molecular studies following behavioral tests. RESULTS GWI rats treated with VEH exhibited impairments in all cognitive tasks and anhedonia, whereas CBD-treated GWI rats showed improvements in all cognitive tasks and no anhedonia. Additionally, CBD treatment alleviated hyperalgesia in GWI rats. Analysis of hippocampal tissues from VEH-treated rats revealed astrocyte hypertrophy and increased percentages of activated microglia presenting NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) complexes as well as elevated levels of proteins involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation and Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of the transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling. Furthermore, there were increased concentrations of proinflammatory and oxidative stress markers along with decreased neurogenesis. In contrast, the hippocampus from CBD-treated GWI rats displayed reduced levels of proteins mediating the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes and JAK/STAT signaling, normalized concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers, and improved neurogenesis. Notably, CBD treatment did not alter the concentration of endogenous cannabinoid anandamide in the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS The use of an FDA-approved CBD (Epidiolex®) has been shown to effectively alleviate cognitive and mood impairments as well as hyperalgesia associated with chronic GWI. Importantly, the improvements observed in rats with chronic GWI in this study were attributed to the ability of CBD to significantly suppress signaling pathways that perpetuate chronic neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maheedhar Kodali
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Leelavathi N Madhu
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Venkata Sai Vashishta Kolla
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Sahithi Attaluri
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Charles Huard
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Yogish Somayaji
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Bing Shuai
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Chase Jordan
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Xiaolan Rao
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Sanath Shetty
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Ashok K Shetty
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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Collier CA, Salikhova A, Sabir S, Foncerrada S, Raghavan SA. Crisis in the gut: navigating gastrointestinal challenges in Gulf War Illness with bioengineering. Mil Med Res 2024; 11:45. [PMID: 38978144 PMCID: PMC11229309 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-024-00547-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is characterized by a wide range of symptoms that manifests largely as gastrointestinal symptoms. Among these gastrointestinal symptoms, motility disorders are highly prevalent, presenting as chronic constipation, stomach pain, indigestion, diarrhea, and other conditions that severely impact the quality of life of GWI veterans. However, despite a high prevalence of gastrointestinal impairments among these veterans, most research attention has focused on neurological disturbances. This perspective provides a comprehensive overview of current in vivo research advancements elucidating the underlying mechanisms contributing to gastrointestinal disorders in GWI. Generally, these in vivo and in vitro models propose that neuroinflammation alters gut motility and drives the gastrointestinal symptoms reported in GWI. Additionally, this perspective highlights the potential and challenges of in vitro bioengineering models, which could be a crucial contributor to understanding and treating the pathology of gastrointestinal related-GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia A Collier
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Aelita Salikhova
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Sufiyan Sabir
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Steven Foncerrada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Shreya A Raghavan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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4
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VanElzakker MB, Bues HF, Brusaferri L, Kim M, Saadi D, Ratai EM, Dougherty DD, Loggia ML. Neuroinflammation in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) as assessed by [ 11C]PBR28 PET correlates with vascular disease measures. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 119:713-723. [PMID: 38642615 PMCID: PMC11225883 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has triggered a consequential public health crisis of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), sometimes referred to as long COVID. The mechanisms of the heterogeneous persistent symptoms and signs that comprise PASC are under investigation, and several studies have pointed to the central nervous and vascular systems as being potential sites of dysfunction. In the current study, we recruited individuals with PASC with diverse symptoms, and examined the relationship between neuroinflammation and circulating markers of vascular dysfunction. We used [11C]PBR28 PET neuroimaging, a marker of neuroinflammation, to compare 12 PASC individuals versus 43 normative healthy controls. We found significantly increased neuroinflammation in PASC versus controls across a wide swath of brain regions including midcingulate and anterior cingulate cortex, corpus callosum, thalamus, basal ganglia, and at the boundaries of ventricles. We also collected and analyzed peripheral blood plasma from the PASC individuals and found significant positive correlations between neuroinflammation and several circulating analytes related to vascular dysfunction. These results suggest that an interaction between neuroinflammation and vascular health may contribute to common symptoms of PASC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B VanElzakker
- Division of Neurotherapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; PolyBio Research Foundation, Medford, MA, USA.
| | - Hannah F Bues
- Division of Neurotherapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ludovica Brusaferri
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Computer Science And Informatics, School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK
| | - Minhae Kim
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deena Saadi
- Division of Neurotherapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eva-Maria Ratai
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Darin D Dougherty
- Division of Neurotherapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marco L Loggia
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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5
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Burzynski HE, Reagan LP. Exposing the latent phenotype of Gulf War Illness: examination of the mechanistic mediators of cognitive dysfunction. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1403574. [PMID: 38919622 PMCID: PMC11196646 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1403574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Though it has been over 30 years since the 1990-1991 Gulf War (GW), the pathophysiology of Gulf War Illness (GWI), the complex, progressive illness affecting approximately 30% of GW Veterans, has not been fully characterized. While the symptomology of GWI is broad, many symptoms can be attributed to immune and endocrine dysfunction as these critical responses appear to be dysregulated in many GWI patients. Since such dysregulation emerges in response to immune threats or stressful situations, it is unsurprising that clinical studies suggest that GWI may present with a latent phenotype. This is most often observed in studies that include an exercise challenge during which many GWI patients experience an exacerbation of symptoms. Unfortunately, very few preclinical studies include such physiological stressors when assessing their experimental models of GWI, which creates variable results that hinder the elucidation of the mechanisms mediating GWI. Thus, the purpose of this review is to highlight the clinical and preclinical findings that investigate the inflammatory component of GWI and support the concept that GWI may be characterized as having a latent phenotype. We will mainly focus on studies assessing the progressive cognitive impairments associated with GWI and emphasize the need for physiological stressors in future work to create a more unified hypothesis that can identify potential therapeutics for this patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E. Burzynski
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Lawrence P. Reagan
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
- Columbia Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Columbia, SC, United States
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6
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Sandström A, Torrado-Carvajal A, Morrissey EJ, Kim M, Alshelh Z, Zhu Y, Li MD, Chang CY, Jarraya M, Akeju O, Schrepf A, Harris RE, Kwon YM, Bedair H, Chen AF, Mercaldo ND, Kettner N, Napadow V, Toschi N, Edwards RR, Loggia ML. [ 11 C]-PBR28 positron emission tomography signal as an imaging marker of joint inflammation in knee osteoarthritis. Pain 2024; 165:1121-1130. [PMID: 38015622 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Although inflammation is known to play a role in knee osteoarthritis (KOA), inflammation-specific imaging is not routinely performed. In this article, we evaluate the role of joint inflammation, measured using [ 11 C]-PBR28, a radioligand for the inflammatory marker 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO), in KOA. Twenty-one KOA patients and 11 healthy controls (HC) underwent positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) knee imaging with the TSPO ligand [ 11 C]-PBR28. Standardized uptake values were extracted from regions-of-interest (ROIs) semiautomatically segmented from MRI data, and compared across groups (HC, KOA) and subgroups (unilateral/bilateral KOA symptoms), across knees (most vs least painful), and against clinical variables (eg, pain and Kellgren-Lawrence [KL] grades). Overall, KOA patients demonstrated elevated [ 11 C]-PBR28 binding across all knee ROIs, compared with HC (all P 's < 0.005). Specifically, PET signal was significantly elevated in both knees in patients with bilateral KOA symptoms (both P 's < 0.01), and in the symptomatic knee ( P < 0.05), but not the asymptomatic knee ( P = 0.95) of patients with unilateral KOA symptoms. Positron emission tomography signal was higher in the most vs least painful knee ( P < 0.001), and the difference in pain ratings across knees was proportional to the difference in PET signal ( r = 0.74, P < 0.001). Kellgren-Lawrence grades neither correlated with PET signal (left knee r = 0.32, P = 0.19; right knee r = 0.18, P = 0.45) nor pain ( r = 0.39, P = 0.07). The current results support further exploration of [ 11 C]-PBR28 PET signal as an imaging marker candidate for KOA and a link between joint inflammation and osteoarthritis-related pain severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Sandström
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Angel Torrado-Carvajal
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Medical Image Analysis and Biometry Laboratory, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Erin J Morrissey
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Minhae Kim
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Zeynab Alshelh
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Yehui Zhu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Matthew D Li
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Connie Y Chang
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mohamed Jarraya
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Oluwaseun Akeju
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Andrew Schrepf
- Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Richard E Harris
- Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, School of Medicine, University of California at Irvine, Irvine CA, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, School of Medicine, University of California at Irvine, Irvine CA, United States
- Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Young-Min Kwon
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hany Bedair
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Antonia F Chen
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nathaniel D Mercaldo
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Norman Kettner
- Department of Radiology, Logan University, Chesterfield, MO, United States
| | - Vitaly Napadow
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Nicola Toschi
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome, "Tor Vergata," Rome, Italy
| | - Robert R Edwards
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Marco L Loggia
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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7
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Cohen J, Mathew A, Dourvetakis KD, Sanchez-Guerrero E, Pangeni RP, Gurusamy N, Aenlle KK, Ravindran G, Twahir A, Isler D, Sosa-Garcia SR, Llizo A, Bested AC, Theoharides TC, Klimas NG, Kempuraj D. Recent Research Trends in Neuroinflammatory and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Cells 2024; 13:511. [PMID: 38534355 DOI: 10.3390/cells13060511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are chronic major health disorders. The exact mechanism of the neuroimmune dysfunctions of these disease pathogeneses is currently not clearly understood. These disorders show dysregulated neuroimmune and inflammatory responses, including activation of neurons, glial cells, and neurovascular unit damage associated with excessive release of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, neurotoxic mediators, and infiltration of peripheral immune cells into the brain, as well as entry of inflammatory mediators through damaged neurovascular endothelial cells, blood-brain barrier and tight junction proteins. Activation of glial cells and immune cells leads to the release of many inflammatory and neurotoxic molecules that cause neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Gulf War Illness (GWI) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are chronic disorders that are also associated with neuroimmune dysfunctions. Currently, there are no effective disease-modifying therapeutic options available for these diseases. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons, astrocytes, microglia, endothelial cells and pericytes are currently used for many disease models for drug discovery. This review highlights certain recent trends in neuroinflammatory responses and iPSC-derived brain cell applications in neuroinflammatory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Cohen
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Annette Mathew
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Kirk D Dourvetakis
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Estella Sanchez-Guerrero
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Rajendra P Pangeni
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Narasimman Gurusamy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Barry and Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Kristina K Aenlle
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
- Miami VA Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Geeta Ravindran
- Cell Therapy Institute, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Assma Twahir
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Dylan Isler
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Sara Rukmini Sosa-Garcia
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Axel Llizo
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Alison C Bested
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Theoharis C Theoharides
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery, Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Nancy G Klimas
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
- Miami VA Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Duraisamy Kempuraj
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
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8
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Brusaferri L, Alshelh Z, Schnieders JH, Sandström A, Mohammadian M, Morrissey EJ, Kim M, Chane CA, Grmek GC, Murphy JP, Bialobrzewski J, DiPietro A, Klinke J, Zhang Y, Torrado-Carvajal A, Mercaldo N, Akeju O, Wu O, Rosen BR, Napadow V, Hadjikhani N, Loggia ML. Neuroimmune activation and increased brain aging in chronic pain patients after the COVID-19 pandemic onset. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 116:259-266. [PMID: 38081435 PMCID: PMC10872439 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a global impact on both physical and mental health, and clinical populations have been disproportionally affected. To date, however, the mechanisms underlying the deleterious effects of the pandemic on pre-existing clinical conditions remain unclear. Here we investigated whether the onset of the pandemic was associated with an increase in brain/blood levels of inflammatory markers and MRI-estimated brain age in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP), irrespective of their infection history. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 56 adult participants with cLBP (28 'Pre-Pandemic', 28 'Pandemic') using integrated Positron Emission Tomography/ Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET/MRI) and the radioligand [11C]PBR28, which binds to the neuroinflammatory marker 18 kDa Translocator Protein (TSPO). Image data were collected between November 2017 and January 2020 ('Pre-Pandemic' cLBP) or between August 2020 and May 2022 ('Pandemic' cLBP). Compared to the Pre-Pandemic group, the Pandemic patients demonstrated widespread and statistically significant elevations in brain TSPO levels (P =.05, cluster corrected). PET signal elevations in the Pandemic group were also observed when 1) excluding 3 Pandemic subjects with a known history of COVID infection, or 2) using secondary outcome measures (volume of distribution -VT- and VT ratio - DVR) in a smaller subset of participants. Pandemic subjects also exhibited elevated serum levels of inflammatory markers (IL-16; P <.05) and estimated BA (P <.0001), which were positively correlated with [11C]PBR28 SUVR (r's ≥ 0.35; P's < 0.05). The pain interference scores, which were elevated in the Pandemic group (P <.05), were negatively correlated with [11C]PBR28 SUVR in the amygdala (r = -0.46; P<.05). This work suggests that the pandemic outbreak may have been accompanied by neuroinflammation and increased brain age in cLBP patients, as measured by multimodal imaging and serum testing. This study underscores the broad impact of the pandemic on human health, which extends beyond the morbidity solely mediated by the virus itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovica Brusaferri
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Computer Science and Informatics, School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK
| | - Zeynab Alshelh
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jack H Schnieders
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Angelica Sandström
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mehrbod Mohammadian
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin J Morrissey
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Minhae Kim
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Courtney A Chane
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Grace C Grmek
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer P Murphy
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julia Bialobrzewski
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexa DiPietro
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julie Klinke
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Angel Torrado-Carvajal
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Medical Image Analysis and Biometry Laboratory, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nathaniel Mercaldo
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Oluwaseun Akeju
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ona Wu
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bruce R Rosen
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Nouchine Hadjikhani
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Marco L Loggia
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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9
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Chao LL. Olfactory and cognitive decrements in 1991 Gulf War veterans with gulf war illness/chronic multisymptom illness. Environ Health 2024; 23:14. [PMID: 38291474 PMCID: PMC10825982 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-024-01058-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gulf War illness (GWI)/Chronic Multisymptom Illness (CMI) is a disorder related to military service in the 1991 Gulf War (GW). Prominent symptoms of GWI/CMI include fatigue, pain, and cognitive dysfunction. Although anosmia is not a typical GWI/CMI symptom, anecdotally some GW veterans have reported losing their sense smell shortly after the war. Because olfactory deficit is a prodromal symptom of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, and because we previously reported suggestive evidence that deployed GW veterans may be at increased risk for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia, the current study examined the relationship between olfactory and cognitive function in deployed GW veterans. METHODS Eighty deployed GW veterans (mean age: 59.9 ±7.0; 4 female) were tested remotely with the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Veterans also completed self-report questionnaires about their health and deployment-related exposures and experiences. UPSIT and MoCA data from healthy control (HC) participants from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) study were downloaded for comparison. RESULTS GW veterans had a mean UPSIT score of 27.8 ± 6.3 (range 9-37) and a mean MoCA score of 25.3 ± 2.8 (range 19-30). According to age- and sex-specific normative data, 31% of GW veterans (vs. 8% PPMI HCs) had UPSIT scores below the 10th percentile. Nearly half (45%) of GW veterans (vs. 8% PPMI HCs) had MoCA scores below the cut-off for identifying MCI. Among GW veterans, but not PPMI HCs, there was a positive correlation between UPSIT and MoCA scores (Spearman's ρ = 0.39, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in UPSIT or MoCA scores between GW veterans with and without history of COVID or between those with and without Kansas GWI exclusionary conditions. CONCLUSIONS We found evidence of olfactory and cognitive deficits and a significant correlation between UPSIT and MoCA scores in a cohort of 80 deployed GW veterans, 99% of whom had CMI. Because impaired olfactory function has been associated with increased risk for MCI and dementia, it may be prudent to screen aging, deployed GW veterans with smell identification tests so that hypo- and anosmic veterans can be followed longitudinally and offered targeted neuroprotective therapies as they become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda L Chao
- Departments of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging and Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, University of Calfiornia, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA.
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10
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Ganesh R, Yadav S, Hurt RT, Mueller MR, Aakre CA, Gilman EA, Grach SL, Overgaard J, Snyder MR, Collins NM, Croghan IT, Badley AD, Razonable RR, Salonen BR. Pro Inflammatory Cytokines Profiles of Patients With Long COVID Differ Between Variant Epochs. J Prim Care Community Health 2024; 15:21501319241254751. [PMID: 38808863 PMCID: PMC11138192 DOI: 10.1177/21501319241254751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over 30% of patients with COVID-19 have persistent symptoms that last beyond 30 days and referred to as Long COVID. Long COVID has been associated with a persistent elevation in peripheral cytokines including interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α. This study reports cytokine profiles of patients in our clinic across SARS-COV-2 variant epochs. METHODS The clinical cytokine panel was analyzed in patients with Long COVID during periods that were stratified according to variant epoch. The 4 variant epochs were defined as: (1) wild-type through alpha, (2) alpha/beta/gamma, (3) delta, and (4) omicron variants. RESULTS A total of 390 patients had the clinical cytokine panel performed; the median age was 48 years (IQR 38-59) and 62% were female. Distribution by variant was wild-type and alpha, 50% (n = 196); alpha/beta/gamma, 7.9% (n = 31); delta, 18% (n = 72); and omicron, 23% (n = 91). Time to cytokine panel testing was significantly longer for the earlier epochs. Tumor necrosis factor-α (P < .001) and interleukin 1β (P < .001) were significantly more elevated in the earlier epochs (median of 558 days in wild-type through Alpha epoch vs 263 days in omicron epoch, P < .001)). Nucleocapsid antibodies were consistently detected across epochs. DISCUSSION When stratified by variant epoch, patients with early epoch Long COVID had persistently elevated peripheral pro-inflammatory cytokine levels when compared to later epoch Long COVID. Patients with Long COVID have similar clusters of symptoms across epochs, suggesting that the underlying pathology is independent of the peripheral cytokine signature.
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11
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Sanchez V, Kim C, Locatelli EV, Cohen A, Cabrera K, Aenlle K, Klimas N, O’Brien R, Galor A. Dry eye symptoms and signs in United States Gulf War era veterans with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2024; 52:10-21. [PMID: 37953685 PMCID: PMC10873051 DOI: 10.1111/ceo.14313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To examine ocular symptoms and signs of veterans with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) diagnosis, ME/CFS symptoms, and controls. METHODS This was a prospective, cross-sectional study of 124 South Florida veterans in active duty during the Gulf War era. Participants were recruited at an ophthalmology clinic at the Miami Veterans Affairs Hospital and evaluated for a diagnosis of ME/CFS, or symptoms of ME/CFS (intermediate fatigue, IF) using the Canadian Consensus criteria. Ocular symptoms were assessed via standardised questionnaires and signs via comprehensive slit lamp examination. Inflammatory blood markers were analysed and compared across groups. RESULTS Mean age was 55.1 ± 4.7 years, 88.7% identified as male, 58.1% as White, and 39.5% as Hispanic. Ocular symptoms were more severe in the ME/CFS (n = 32) and IF (n = 48) groups compared to controls (n = 44) across dry eye (DE; Ocular Surface Disease Index [OSDI]: 48.9 ± 22.3 vs. 38.8 ± 23.3 vs. 19.1 ± 17.8, p < 0.001; 5 item Dry Eye Questionnaire [DEQ-5]: 10.8 ± 3.9 vs. 10.0 ± 4.6 vs. 6.6 ± 4.2, p < 0.001) and pain-specific questionnaires (Numerical Rating Scale 1-10 [NRS] right now: 2.4 ± 2.8 vs. 2.4 ± 2.9 vs 0.9 ± 1.5; p = 0.007; Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory modified for the Eye [NPSI-E]: 23.0 ± 18.6 vs. 19.8 ± 19.1 vs. 6.5 ± 9.0, p < 0.001). Ocular surface parameters and blood markers of inflammation were generally similar across groups. CONCLUSION Individuals with ME/CFS report increased ocular pain but similar DE signs, suggesting that mechanisms beyond the ocular surface contribute to symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Sanchez
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Colin Kim
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | | | | | - Kimberly Cabrera
- Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Kristina Aenlle
- Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida, USA
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, K. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
| | - Nancy Klimas
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, K. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
- Miami Veterans Affairs Center for Geriatric Research and Clinical Care Center, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Robert O’Brien
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Anat Galor
- Miami Veterans Affairs Center for Geriatric Research and Clinical Care Center, Miami, Florida, USA
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
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12
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VanElzakker MB, Bues HF, Brusaferri L, Kim M, Saadi D, Ratai EM, Dougherty DD, Loggia ML. Neuroinflammation in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) as assessed by [ 11C]PBR28 PET correlates with vascular disease measures. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.19.563117. [PMID: 37905031 PMCID: PMC10614970 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.19.563117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has triggered a consequential public health crisis of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), sometimes referred to as long COVID. The mechanisms of the heterogeneous persistent symptoms and signs that comprise PASC are under investigation, and several studies have pointed to the central nervous and vascular systems as being potential sites of dysfunction. In the current study, we recruited individuals with PASC with diverse symptoms, and examined the relationship between neuroinflammation and circulating markers of vascular dysfunction. We used [11C]PBR28 PET neuroimaging, a marker of neuroinflammation, to compare 12 PASC individuals versus 43 normative healthy controls. We found significantly increased neuroinflammation in PASC versus controls across a wide swath of brain regions including midcingulate and anterior cingulate cortex, corpus callosum, thalamus, basal ganglia, and at the boundaries of ventricles. We also collected and analyzed peripheral blood plasma from the PASC individuals and found significant positive correlations between neuroinflammation and several circulating analytes related to vascular dysfunction. These results suggest that an interaction between neuroinflammation and vascular health may contribute to common symptoms of PASC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B VanElzakker
- Division of Neurotherapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- PolyBio Research Foundation, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Hannah F Bues
- Division of Neurotherapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ludovica Brusaferri
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Computer Science And Informatics, School of Engineering, London South Bank University, London, UK
| | - Minhae Kim
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deena Saadi
- Division of Neurotherapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eva-Maria Ratai
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Darin D Dougherty
- Division of Neurotherapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marco L Loggia
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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13
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Wei ZYD, Liang K, Shetty AK. Complications of COVID-19 on the Central Nervous System: Mechanisms and Potential Treatment for Easing Long COVID. Aging Dis 2023; 14:1492-1510. [PMID: 37163427 PMCID: PMC10529748 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) invades human cells by binding to the angiotensin-converting-enzyme-2 (ACE-2) using a spike protein and leads to Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 primarily causes a respiratory infection that can lead to severe systemic inflammation. It is also common for some patients to develop significant neurological and psychiatric symptoms. The spread of SARS-CoV-2 to the CNS likely occurs through several pathways. Once spread in the CNS, many acute symptoms emerge, and such infections could also transpire into severe neurological complications, including encephalitis or ischemic stroke. After recovery from the acute infection, a significant percentage of patients develop "long COVID," a condition in which several symptoms of COVID-19 persist for prolonged periods. This review aims to discuss acute and chronic neurological problems after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The potential mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 enters the CNS and causes neuroinflammation, neuropathological changes observed in post-mortem brains of COVID-19 patients, and cognitive and mood problems in COVID-19 survivors are discussed in the initial part. The later part of the review deliberates the causes of long COVID, approaches for noninvasive tracking of neuroinflammation in long COVID patients, and the potential therapeutic strategies that could ease enduring CNS symptoms observed in long COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuang-Yao D Wei
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Ketty Liang
- Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Conroe, TX, USA
| | - Ashok K Shetty
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center School of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA
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14
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Golomb BA, Sanchez Baez R, Schilling JM, Dhanani M, Fannon MJ, Berg BK, Miller BJ, Taub PR, Patel HH. Mitochondrial impairment but not peripheral inflammation predicts greater Gulf War illness severity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10739. [PMID: 37438460 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35896-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Gulf War illness (GWI) is an important exemplar of environmentally-triggered chronic multisymptom illness, and a potential model for accelerated aging. Inflammation is the main hypothesized mechanism for GWI, with mitochondrial impairment also proposed. No study has directly assessed mitochondrial respiratory chain function (MRCF) on muscle biopsy in veterans with GWI (VGWI). We recruited 42 participants, half VGWI, with biopsy material successfully secured in 36. Impaired MRCF indexed by complex I and II oxidative phosphorylation with glucose as a fuel source (CI&CIIOXPHOS) related significantly or borderline significantly in the predicted direction to 17 of 20 symptoms in the combined sample. Lower CI&CIIOXPHOS significantly predicted GWI severity in the combined sample and in VGWI separately, with or without adjustment for hsCRP. Higher-hsCRP (peripheral inflammation) related strongly to lower-MRCF (particularly fatty acid oxidation (FAO) indices) in VGWI, but not in controls. Despite this, whereas greater MRCF-impairment predicted greater GWI symptoms and severity, greater inflammation did not. Surprisingly, adjusted for MRCF, higher hsCRP significantly predicted lesser symptom severity in VGWI selectively. Findings comport with a hypothesis in which the increased inflammation observed in GWI is driven by FAO-defect-induced mitochondrial apoptosis. In conclusion, impaired mitochondrial function-but not peripheral inflammation-predicts greater GWI symptoms and severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice A Golomb
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0995, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0995, USA.
| | - Roel Sanchez Baez
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0995, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0995, USA
- San Ysidro Health Center, San Diego, CA, 92114, USA
| | - Jan M Schilling
- VA San Diego Healthcare System and Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
| | - Mehul Dhanani
- VA San Diego Healthcare System and Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
- Avidity Biosciences, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - McKenzie J Fannon
- VA San Diego Healthcare System and Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
| | - Brinton K Berg
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0995, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0995, USA
| | - Bruce J Miller
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0995, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0995, USA
| | - Pam R Taub
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Hemal H Patel
- VA San Diego Healthcare System and Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
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15
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Bhatti G, Villalon A, Li R, Elammari M, Price A, Steele L, Garcia JM, Marcelli M, Jorge R. Hormonal changes in veterans with Gulf War Illness. Life Sci 2023; 328:121908. [PMID: 37406768 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a multi-system condition of complex etiology and pathophysiology without specific treatment. There is an overlap between the symptoms of GWI and endocrinopathies. This study aimed to identify hormonal alterations in 1990-91 Gulf War (GW) veterans and the relationship between GWI and hormonal dysregulation. MAIN METHODS Data from 81 GW veterans (54 with GWI and 27 controls without GWI) was analyzed in a cross-sectional, case-control observational study. Participants completed multiple questionnaires, neuropsychiatric assessments, and a comprehensive set of hormone assays including a glucagon stimulation test (GST) for adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) and a high-dose adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test for adrenal insufficiency. KEY FINDINGS The GWI group had lower quality of life and greater severity of all symptoms compared to controls. Pain intensity and pain-related interference with general activity were also higher in the GWI group. AGHD was observed in 18 of 51 veterans with GWI (35.3 %) and 2 of 26 veterans without GWI (7.7 %) (p = 0.012 for interaction). Veterans with GWI also exhibited reduced insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and IGF-1 Z-scores compared to controls. One participant with GWI met the criteria for adrenal insufficiency. No significant changes were observed in other hormonal axes. SIGNIFICANCE The frequency of AGHD was significantly higher in veterans with GWI compared to controls. Recombinant human growth hormone replacement therapy (GHRT) may become a breakthrough therapeutic option for this subgroup. A large clinical trial is needed to evaluate the efficacy of GHRT in patients with GWI and AGHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gursimrat Bhatti
- Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Beth K and Stuart C Yudofsky Division of Neuropsychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Audri Villalon
- Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Beth K and Stuart C Yudofsky Division of Neuropsychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ruosha Li
- UT Health Science Center School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mohamed Elammari
- Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Beth K and Stuart C Yudofsky Division of Neuropsychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alexandra Price
- Beth K and Stuart C Yudofsky Division of Neuropsychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lea Steele
- Beth K and Stuart C Yudofsky Division of Neuropsychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jose M Garcia
- Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, and Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine-Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Ricardo Jorge
- Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Beth K and Stuart C Yudofsky Division of Neuropsychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Carreras I, Jung Y, Lopez-Benitez J, Tognoni CM, Dedeoglu A. Fingolimod mitigates memory loss in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness amid decreasing the activation of microglia, protein kinase R, and NFκB. Neurotoxicology 2023; 96:197-206. [PMID: 37160207 PMCID: PMC10334821 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) is an unrelenting multi-symptom illness with chronic central nervous system and peripheral pathology affecting veterans from the 1991 Gulf War and for which effective treatment is lacking. An increasing number of studies indicate that persistent neuroinflammation is likely the underlying cause of cognitive and mood dysfunction that affects veterans with GWI. We have previously reported that fingolimod, a drug approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, decreases neuroinflammation and improves cognition in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we investigated the effect of fingolimod treatment on cognition and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of GWI. We exposed C57BL/6 J male mice to GWI-related chemicals pyridostigmine bromide, DEET, and permethrin, and to mild restraint stress for 28 days (GWI mice). Control mice were exposed to the chemicals' vehicle only. Starting 3 months post-exposure, half of the GWI mice and control mice were orally treated with fingolimod (1 mg/kg/day) for 1 month, and the other half were left untreated. Decreased memory on the Morris water maze test was detected in GWI mice compared to control mice and was reversed by fingolimod treatment. Immunohistochemical analysis of brain sections with antibodies to Iba1 and GFAP revealed that GWI mice had increased microglia activation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, but no difference in reactive astrocytes was detected. The increased activation of microglia in GWI mice was decreased to the level in control mice by treatment with fingolimod. No effect of fingolimod treatment on gliosis in control mice was detected. To explore the signaling pathways by which decreased memory and increased neuroinflammation in GWI may be protected by fingolimod, we investigated the involvement of the inflammatory signaling pathways of protein kinase R (PKR) in the cerebral cortex of these mice. We found increased phosphorylation of PKR in the brain of GWI mice compared to controls, as well as increased phosphorylation of its most recognized downstream effectors: the α subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2α), IκB kinase (IKK), and the p65 subunit of nuclear factor-κB (NFκB-p65). Furthermore, we found that the increased phosphorylation level of these three proteins were suppressed in GWI mice treated with fingolimod. These results suggest that activation of PKR and NFκB signaling may be important for the regulation of cognition and neuroinflammation in the GWI condition and that fingolimod, a drug already approved for human use, may be a potential candidate for the treatment of GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Carreras
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System,150 S Huntington Av, Boston, MA 02130, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
| | - Younghun Jung
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System,150 S Huntington Av, Boston, MA 02130, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, USA; The Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 73 High St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jonathan Lopez-Benitez
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System,150 S Huntington Av, Boston, MA 02130, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Christina M Tognoni
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System,150 S Huntington Av, Boston, MA 02130, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Alpaslan Dedeoglu
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System,150 S Huntington Av, Boston, MA 02130, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 73 High St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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17
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Boruch AE, Lindheimer JB, Ninneman JV, Wylie GR, Alexander T, Klein-Adams JC, Stegner AJ, Gretzon NP, Samy B, Falvo MJ, Cook DB. Exercise-induced changes in gene expression do not mediate post exertional malaise in Gulf War illness. Brain Behav Immun Health 2023; 29:100612. [PMID: 36950022 PMCID: PMC10027470 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is considered a characteristic feature of chronic multi-symptom illnesses (CMI) like Gulf War illness (GWI); however, its pathophysiology remains understudied. Previous investigations in other CMI populations (i.e., Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) have reported associations between PEM and expression of genes coding for adrenergic, metabolic, and immune function. Objectives To investigate whether PEM is meditated by gene expression in Veterans with GWI. Methods Veterans with GWI (n = 37) and healthy control Gulf War Veterans (n = 25) provided blood samples before and after 30-min of cycling at 70% of age-predicted heart rate reserve. Relative quantification of gene expression, symptom measurements, and select cardiopulmonary parameters were compared between groups at pre-, 30 minpost-, and 24 hpost-exercise using a doubly multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-MANOVA). Mediation analyses were used to test indirect effects of changes in gene expression on symptom responses (i.e., PEM) to the standardized exercise challenge. Results Veterans with GWI experienced large symptom exacerbations following exercise compared to controls (Cohen's d: 1.65; p < 0.05). Expression of β -actin (ACTB), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) decreased in Veterans with GWI at 30 min (p < 0.05) and 24 h post-exercise (p < 0.05). Changes in gene expression did not mediate post-exercise symptom exacerbation in GWI (Indirect Effect Slope Coefficient: 0.06 - 0.02; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.12). Conclusion An acute bout of moderate intensity cycling reduced the expression of select structural, adrenergic, and immune genes in Veterans with GWI, but the pathophysiological relevance to PEM is unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E. Boruch
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jacob B. Lindheimer
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jacob V. Ninneman
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Glenn R. Wylie
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
- Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, USA
- New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Thomas Alexander
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Jacquelyn C. Klein-Adams
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Aaron J. Stegner
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nicholas P. Gretzon
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Bishoy Samy
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Michael J. Falvo
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
- New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Dane B. Cook
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Corresponding author. Medical Sciences Center, 1300 University Avenue, Room 335, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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18
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Truax LE, Huang JJ, Jensen K, Locatelli EVT, Cabrera K, Peterson HO, Cohen NK, Mangwani-Mordani S, Jensen A, Goldhardt R, Galor A. Pyridostigmine Bromide Pills and Pesticides Exposure as Risk Factors for Eye Disease in Gulf War Veterans. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12062407. [PMID: 36983407 PMCID: PMC10059791 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12062407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
To examine associations between the pyridostigmine bromide (PB) pill and/or pesticide exposure during the 1990-1991 Gulf War (GW) and eye findings years after deployment. A cross-sectional study of South Florida veterans who were deployed on active duty during the GW Era (GWE). Information on GW exposures and ocular surface symptoms were collected via standardized questionnaires and an ocular surface examination was performed. Participants underwent spectral domain-ocular coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging that included retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), and macular maps. We examined for differences in eye findings between individuals exposed versus not exposed to PB pills or pesticides during service. A total of 40.7% (n = 44) of individuals reported exposure to PB pills and 41.7% (n = 45) to pesticides; additionally, 24 reported exposure to both in the GW arena. Demographics were comparable across groups. Individuals exposed to PB pills reported higher dry eye (DE) symptoms scores (the 5-Item Dry Eye Questionnaire, DEQ-5: 9.3 ± 5.3 vs. 7.3 ± 4.7, p = 0.04) and more intense ocular pain (average over the last week: 2.4 ± 2.6 vs. 1.5 ± 1.8, p = 0.03; Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory modified for the Eye (NPSI-E): 18.2 ± 20.0 vs. 10.8 ± 13.8, p = 0.03) compared to their non-exposed counterparts. DE signs were comparable between the groups. Individuals exposed to PB pills also had thicker OCT measurements, with the largest difference in the outer temporal segment of the macula (268.5 ± 22.2 μm vs. 260.6 ± 14.5 μm, p = 0.03) compared to non-exposed individuals. These differences remained significant when examined in multivariable models that included demographics and deployment history. Individuals exposed to pesticides had higher neuropathic ocular pain scores (NPSI-E: 17.1 ± 21.1 vs. 11.6 ± 12.9, p = 0.049), but this difference did not remain significant in a multivariable model. Individuals exposed to PB pills during the GWE reported more severe ocular surface symptoms and had thicker OCT measures years after deployment compared to their non-exposed counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Truax
- Ophthalmology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Jaxon J Huang
- Surgical Services, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Katherine Jensen
- Surgical Services, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Elyana V T Locatelli
- Surgical Services, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Kimberly Cabrera
- Surgical Services, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Haley O Peterson
- Ophthalmology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Noah K Cohen
- Ophthalmology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | | | - Andrew Jensen
- Surgical Services, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Raquel Goldhardt
- Surgical Services, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Anat Galor
- Surgical Services, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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Malhotra D, Boyle SH, Gifford EJ, Sullivan BA, Nguyen Wenker TH, Abs ND, Ahmed ST, Upchurch J, Vahey J, Stafford C, Efird JT, Hunt SC, Bradford A, Sims KJ, Hauser ER, Helmer DA, Williams CD. Self-reported gastrointestinal disorders among veterans with gulf war illness with and without posttraumatic stress disorder. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2023; 35:e14548. [PMID: 36942766 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.14548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic, multi-symptom disorder affecting 25%-32% of Gulf War veterans. Veterans with GWI disproportionately suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Given the increasing evidence supporting a gut-brain axis, we explore the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), GWI, and self-reported GI disorders among GW veterans. METHODS Veterans from the Gulf War Era Cohort and Biorepository responded to a mail-based survey (N = 1058). They were stratified by GWI (Centers for Disease Control definition) and PTSD status. This yielded three groups: GWI-, GWI+/PTSD-, and GWI+/PTSD+. Multivariable logistic regression adjusting for demographic and military characteristics examined associations between GWI/PTSD groups and GI disorders. Results were expressed as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). KEY RESULTS The most frequently reported GI disorders were irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and colon polyps (CP). The GWI+/PTSD+ group had a higher odds of these disorders than the GWI+/PTSD- group (aORIBS = 3.12, 95% CI: 1.93-5.05; aORGERD = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.44-2.90; aORCP = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.23-2.80), which had a higher odds of these disorders than the GWI- group (aORIBS = 4.38, 95% CI: 1.55-12.36; aORGERD = 2.51 95% CI: 1.63-3.87; aORCP = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.53-4.32). CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES GW veterans with GWI and PTSD have significantly higher odds of specific self-reported GI disorders than the other groups. Given the known bidirectional influences of the gut and brain, these veterans may benefit from a holistic healthcare approach that considers biopsychosocial contributors to the assessment and management of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Malhotra
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - S H Boyle
- Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - E J Gifford
- Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - B A Sullivan
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - T H Nguyen Wenker
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuEST), Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Nono-Djotsa Abs
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuEST), Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Big Data Scientist Training Enhancement Program (BD-STEP), VA Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, Washington, USA
| | - S T Ahmed
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuEST), Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - J Upchurch
- Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - J Vahey
- Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - C Stafford
- Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - J T Efird
- VA Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - S C Hunt
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - A Bradford
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - K J Sims
- Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - E R Hauser
- Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - D A Helmer
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- VA HSR&D Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuEST), Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - C D Williams
- Cooperative Studies Program Epidemiology Center, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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20
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Elhaj R, Reynolds JM. Chemical exposures and suspected impact on Gulf War Veterans. Mil Med Res 2023; 10:11. [PMID: 36882803 PMCID: PMC9993698 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-023-00449-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) encompass a spectrum of maladies specific to troops deployed during the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991). There are several hypothesized factors believed to contribute to GWI, including (but not limited to) exposures to chemical agents and a foreign environment (e.g., dust, pollens, insects, and microbes). Moreover, the inherent stress associated with deployment and combat has been associated with GWI. While the etiology of GWI remains uncertain, several studies have provided strong evidence that chemical exposures, especially neurotoxicants, may be underlying factors for the development of GWI. This mini style perspective article will focus on some of the major evidence linking chemical exposures to GWI development and persistence decades after exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami Elhaj
- Center for Cancer Biology, Immunology and Infection, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Joseph M Reynolds
- Center for Cancer Biology, Immunology and Infection, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA.
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21
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Ocular and inflammatory markers associated with Gulf War illness symptoms. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3512. [PMID: 36864130 PMCID: PMC9981620 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30544-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
To examine the utility of ocular coherence tomography (OCT) metrics, in conjunction with systemic markers of inflammation, in identifying individuals with Gulf War Illness (GWI) symptoms. Prospective case-control study of 108 Gulf War Era veterans, split into 2 groups based on the presence of GWI symptoms, defined by the Kansas criteria. Information on demographics, deployment history, and co-morbidities were captured. 101 individuals underwent OCT imaging and 105 individuals provided a blood sample which was analyzed for inflammatory cytokines using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based chemiluminescent assay. The main outcome measure was predictors of GWI symptoms, examined with multivariable forward stepwise logistic regression analysis followed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The mean age of the population was 55 ± 4, 90.7% self-identified as male, 53.3% as White, and 54.3% as Hispanic. A multivariable model that considered demographics and co-morbidities found that a lower inferior temporal ganglion cell layer-inner plexiform layer (GCL‒IPL) thickness, higher temporal nerve fiber layer (NFL) thickness, lower interleukin (IL)-1β levels, higher IL-1α levels, and lower tumor necrosis factor-receptor I levels correlated with GWI symptoms. ROC analysis demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.78 with the best cut-off value for the prediction model having a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 58%. RNFL and GCL‒IPL measures, namely increased temporal thickness and decreased inferior temporal thickness, respectively, in conjunction with a number of inflammatory cytokines, had a reasonable sensitivity for the diagnosis of GWI symptoms in our population.
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22
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Collier CA, Foncerrada S, Clevenger AJ, Shetty A, Raghavan SA. Acute Exposure to Pyridostigmine Bromide Disrupts Cholinergic Myenteric Neuroimmune Function in Mice. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2200254. [PMID: 36802210 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI) results from chemical exposure during the Gulf War, with notable impacts on gastrointestinal motility. Due to the limited demographic impacted by this ailment, an in-depth investigation of the GWI has yielded little regarding the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Here, the hypothesis that exposure to pyridostigmine bromide (PB) results in severe enteric neuro-inflammation, that cascades to disruptions in colonic motility, is tested. The analyses are performed on male C57BL/6 mice that are treated with physiologically similar doses of PB given to GW veterans. When colonic motility is assessed, GWI colons have significantly reduced forces in response to acetylcholine or electrical field stimulation. GWI is also accompanied by high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, associated with increased numbers of CD40+ pro-inflammatory macrophages within the myenteric plexus. Enteric neurons responsible for mediating colonic motility reside within the myenteric plexus, and PB exposure reduced their numbers. Significant smooth muscle hypertrophy is also observed due to increased inflammation. Together, the results show that PB exposure caused functional and anatomical dysfunction, promoting impaired motility within the colon. Achieving a greater understanding of the mechanisms of GWI will allow more refinement in therapeutic options that improve veterans' quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia A Collier
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3120 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Steven Foncerrada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3120 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Abigail J Clevenger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3120 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Ashok Shetty
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, 8447 Riverside Pkwy, Bryan, College Station, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Shreya A Raghavan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3120 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
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23
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Kirienko M, Erba PA, Chiti A, Sollini M. Hybrid PET/MRI in Infection and Inflammation: An Update About the Latest Available Literature Evidence. Semin Nucl Med 2023; 53:107-124. [PMID: 36369091 DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
PET/MRI has been reported to be promising in the diagnosis and evaluation of infection and inflammation including brain disorders, bone and soft tissue infections and inflammations, cardiovascular, abdominal, and systemic diseases. However, evidence came out manly from anecdotal cases or small cohorts. The present review aimed to update the latest available evidence about the role of PET/MRI in infection and inflammation. The search (January, 1 2018-July, 8 2022) on PubMed produced 504 results. Sixty-five articles were selected and included in the qualitative synthesis. The number of publications on PET/MRI in the 3 years 2018-2020 was comparable, while it increased in 2021 and 2022 (from 11 to 17 and 15, respectively). [18F]FDG and 68Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 were the most frequently used (42/65) and innovative radiopharmaceuticals, respectively. [18F]fluoride (9/65), translocator protein (TSPO)-targeted PET agents (6/65), CXCR4 receptor targeting tracer and β-amyloid plaques binding radiopharmaceuticals (2/65 and 2/65, respectively) were also used. Most PET/MRI studies in the period 2018-2022 focused on inflammation (55/65), and cardiovascular diseases represented the most frequent field of interest (30/65), also when considering each year singularly. An increasing trend in bone and joint publications was observed in the considered period (12/65). Other topics included neurology (11/65), inflammatory bowel disease (8/65), and other (4/65). PET/MRI technology demonstrated to be useful in infection and inflammation, being superior to each single modality and/or facilitating diagnosis in a number of conditions (eg, cardiac sarcoidosis, myocarditis, endocarditis), and/or allowing to provide insightful information about disease biology and apply innovative radiopharmaceuticals (eg, neurology, atherosclerosis). Publications focused on PET/MRI in large vessel vasculitis and aortic diseases include both diagnostic and discovery objectives. The current review corroborates the potential of PET/MRI - combining in a single examination the high soft tissue contrast, high resolution, and functional information of MRI, with molecular data provided by PET technology - to positively impact on the management of infectious diseases and inflammatory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paola A Erba
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Arturo Chiti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy.
| | - Martina Sollini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
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24
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Yates PL, Case K, Sun X, Sullivan K, Baas PW, Qiang L. Veteran-derived cerebral organoids display multifaceted pathological defects in studies on Gulf War Illness. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:979652. [PMID: 36619675 PMCID: PMC9816432 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.979652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 30% of the veterans who fought in the 1991 Gulf War (GW) suffer from a disease called Gulf War Illness (GWI), which encompasses a constellation of symptoms including cognitive deficits. A coalescence of evidence indicates that GWI was caused by low-level exposure to organophosphate pesticides and nerve agents in combination with physical stressors of the battlefield. Until recently, progress on mechanisms and therapy had been limited to rodent-based models. Using peripheral blood mononuclear cells from veterans with or without GWI, we recently developed a bank of human induced pluripotent stem cells that can be differentiated into a variety of cellular fates. With these cells, we have now generated cerebral organoids, which are three-dimensional multicellular structures that resemble the human brain. We established organoid cultures from two GW veterans, one with GWI and one without. Immunohistochemical analyses indicate that these organoids, when treated with a GW toxicant regimen consisting of the organophosphate diisopropyl fluorophosphate (a sarin analog) and cortisol (to mimic battlefield stress), display multiple indicators consistent with cognitive deficits, including increased astrocytic reactivity, enhanced phosphorylation of tau proteins, decreased microtubule stability, and impaired neurogenesis. Interestingly, some of these phenotypes were more pronounced in the organoids derived from the veteran with GWI, potentially reflecting a stronger response to the toxicants in some individuals compared to others. These results suggest that veteran-derived human cerebral organoids not only can be used as an innovative human model to uncover the cellular responses to GW toxicants but can also serve as a platform for developing personalized medicine approaches for the veterans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip L. Yates
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kendra Case
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Xiaohuan Sun
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kimberly Sullivan
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Peter W. Baas
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Liang Qiang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States,*Correspondence: Liang Qiang,
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Carpenter JM, Brown KA, Veltmaat L, Ludwig HD, Clay KB, Norberg T, Harn DA, Wagner JJ, Filipov NM. Evaluation of delayed LNFPIII treatment initiation protocol on improving long-term behavioral and neuroinflammatory pathology in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness. Brain Behav Immun Health 2022; 26:100553. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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Fatigue and Pain Severity in Gulf War Illness Is Associated With Changes in Inflammatory Cytokines and Positive Acute Phase Proteins. J Occup Environ Med 2022; 64:905-911. [PMID: 35902364 DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000002625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study is to investigate relationships between inflammatory analytes and symptoms of pain and fatigue in Gulf War illness (GWI). METHODS In this preliminary study, 12 male veterans meeting GWI criteria provided daily blood samples and symptom ratings over 25 days. Linear mixed models were used to analyze associations between symptoms and sera concentrations of cytokines, acute phase proteins, insulin, and brain-derived neurotropic factor. RESULTS Analyses included 277 days with both blood draws and self-reports. Days with worse fatigue severity were associated with higher C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A, and lower eotaxin 1. Muscle pain and joint pain were associated with leptin, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and interferon γ-induced protein. Joint pain was further associated with serum amyloid A and eotaxin 3. CONCLUSIONS Gulf War illness involves fatigue and pain associated with inflammation. Conventional and novel anti-inflammatories should be further explored for the treatment of GWI.
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Ferguson S, McCartan R, Browning M, Hahn-Townsend C, Gratkowski A, Morin A, Abdullah L, Ait-Ghezala G, Ojo J, Sullivan K, Mullan M, Crawford F, Mouzon B. Impact of gulf war toxic exposures after mild traumatic brain injury. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:147. [PMID: 36258255 PMCID: PMC9580120 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01449-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical and pharmaceutical exposures have been associated with the development of Gulf War Illness (GWI), but how these factors interact with the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains an area of study that has received little attention thus far. We studied the effects of pyridostigmine bromide (an anti-nerve agent) and permethrin (a pesticide) exposure in a mouse model of repetitive mild TBI (r-mTBI), with 5 impacts over a 9-day period, followed by Gulf War (GW) toxicant exposure for 10 days beginning 30 days after the last head injury. We then assessed the chronic behavioral and pathological sequelae 5 months after GW agent exposure. We observed that r-mTBI and GWI cumulatively affect the spatial memory of mice in the Barnes maze and result in a shift of search strategies employed by r-mTBI/GW exposed mice. GW exposure also produced anxiety-like behavior in sham animals, but r-mTBI produced disinhibition in both the vehicle and GW treated mice. Pathologically, GW exposure worsened r-mTBI dependent axonal degeneration and neuroinflammation, increased oligodendrocyte cell counts, and increased r-mTBI dependent phosphorylated tau, which was found to colocalize with oligodendrocytes in the corpus callosum. These results suggest that GW exposures may worsen TBI-related deficits. Veterans with a history of both GW chemical exposures as well as TBI may be at higher risk for worse symptoms and outcomes. Subsequent exposure to various toxic substances can influence the chronic nature of mTBI and should be considered as an etiological factor influencing mTBI recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Ferguson
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA
| | - Robyn McCartan
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA
| | | | | | | | - Alexander Morin
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA
| | - Laila Abdullah
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA.,James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | | | - Joseph Ojo
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA
| | - Kimberly Sullivan
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, 715 Albany St. T4W, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Michael Mullan
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA
| | - Fiona Crawford
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA.,James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Benoit Mouzon
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL, 34243, USA. .,James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA.
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Pike CK, Kim M, Schnitzer K, Mercaldo N, Edwards R, Napadow V, Zhang Y, Morrissey EJ, Alshelh Z, Evins AE, Loggia ML, Gilman JM. Study protocol for a phase II, double-blind, randomised controlled trial of cannabidiol (CBD) compared with placebo for reduction of brain neuroinflammation in adults with chronic low back pain. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e063613. [PMID: 36123113 PMCID: PMC9486315 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chronic pain is a debilitating medical problem that is difficult to treat. Neuroinflammatory pathways have emerged as a potential therapeutic target, as preclinical studies have demonstrated that glial cells and neuroglial interactions play a role in the establishment and maintenance of pain. Recently, we used positron emission tomography (PET) to demonstrate increased levels of 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) binding, a marker of glial activation, in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP). Cannabidiol (CBD) is a glial inhibitor in animal models, but studies have not assessed whether CBD reduces neuroinflammation in humans. The principal aim of this trial is to evaluate whether CBD, compared with placebo, affects neuroinflammation, as measured by TSPO levels. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This is a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase II clinical trial. Eighty adults (aged 18-75) with cLBP for >6 months will be randomised to either an FDA-approved CBD medication (Epidiolex) or matching placebo for 4 weeks using a dose-escalation design. All participants will undergo integrated PET/MRI at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment to evaluate neuroinflammation using [11C]PBR28, a second-generation radioligand for TSPO. Our primary hypothesis is that participants randomised to CBD will demonstrate larger reductions in thalamic [11C]PBR28 signal compared with those receiving placebo. We will also assess the effect of CBD on (1) [11C]PBR28 signal from limbic regions, which our prior work has linked to depressive symptoms and (2) striatal activation in response to a reward task. Additionally, we will evaluate self-report measures of cLBP intensity and bothersomeness, depression and quality of life at baseline and 4 weeks. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This protocol is approved by the Massachusetts General Brigham Human Research Committee (protocol number: 2021P002617) and FDA (IND number: 143861) and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05066308; ClinicalTrials.gov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea K Pike
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Minhae Kim
- Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kristina Schnitzer
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nathaniel Mercaldo
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert Edwards
- Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vitaly Napadow
- Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Erin Janas Morrissey
- Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zeynab Alshelh
- Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - A Eden Evins
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marco L Loggia
- Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jodi M Gilman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Sullivan K, O’Callaghan JP. Advancing the Role of Neuroimmunity and Genetic Susceptibility in Gulf War Illness. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12081068. [PMID: 36009131 PMCID: PMC9405771 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12081068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Sullivan
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany St. T4W, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Correspondence: (K.S.); (J.P.O.)
| | - James P. O’Callaghan
- Molecular Neurotoxicology Laboratory, Toxicology and Molecular Biology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-NIOSH, 1000 Frederick Lane, Morgantown, WV 26508, USA
- Correspondence: (K.S.); (J.P.O.)
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Bose D, Chatterjee S, Older E, Seth R, Janulewicz P, Saha P, Mondal A, Carlson JM, Decho AW, Sullivan K, Klimas N, Lasley S, Li J, Chatterjee S. Host gut resistome in Gulf War chronic multisymptom illness correlates with persistent inflammation. Commun Biol 2022; 5:552. [PMID: 35672382 PMCID: PMC9174162 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03494-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic multisymptom illness (CMI) affects a subsection of elderly and war Veterans and is associated with systemic inflammation. Here, using a mouse model of CMI and a group of Gulf War (GW) Veterans' with CMI we show the presence of an altered host resistome. Results show that antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are significantly altered in the CMI group in both mice and GW Veterans when compared to control. Fecal samples from GW Veterans with persistent CMI show a significant increase of resistance to a wide class of antibiotics and exhibited an array of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) distinct from normal healthy controls. The altered resistome and gene signature is correlated with mouse serum IL-6 levels. Altered resistome in mice also is correlated strongly with intestinal inflammation, decreased synaptic plasticity, reversible with fecal microbiota transplant (FMT). The results reported might help in understanding the risks to treating hospital acquired infections in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipro Bose
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Somdatta Chatterjee
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Ethan Older
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Ratanesh Seth
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Patricia Janulewicz
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Punnag Saha
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Ayan Mondal
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Carlson
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alan W Decho
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Kimberly Sullivan
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nancy Klimas
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Stephen Lasley
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, USA
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Saurabh Chatterjee
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
- Columbia VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA.
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Zundel CG, Price K, Grasso CM, Spiro A, Heeren T, Sullivan K, Krengel MH. The impact of neurotoxicant exposures on posttraumatic stress disorder trajectories: The Ft. Devens Gulf War Veterans Cohort. J Trauma Stress 2022; 35:955-966. [PMID: 35150175 PMCID: PMC9541763 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Gulf War veterans (GWVs) were exposed to neurotoxicants, including sarin nerve gas, anti-nerve agent pills, pesticides, oil well fires, and fumes from unvented tent heaters, all of which have been associated with subsequent adverse health. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms have also been associated with GW deployment; however, associations between exposures and PTSD symptoms have not been investigated. We assessed PTSD symptom trajectories and associations with neurotoxicant exposures in Ft. Devens Cohort (FDC) veterans (N = 259) who endorsed trauma exposure during deployment and completed the PTSD Checklist at three follow-ups (1992-1993, 1997-1998, 2013-2017). Results indicate that among veterans with more severe initial PTSD symptoms, symptoms remained significantly higher across follow-ups, Bs = -1.489-1.028, whereas among those with low initial PTSD symptoms, symptom severity increased significantly over time, Bs = 1.043-10.304. Additionally, neurotoxicant exposure was associated with a significant increase in PTSD symptoms, Bs = -1.870-9.003. Significant interactions between time and exposures were observed for PTSD symptom clusters, suggesting that among participants with high initial PTSD symptom, unexposed veterans experienced symptom alleviation, whereas exposed veterans' PTSD symptoms remained high. In GWVs with low initial PTSD symptoms, both unexposed and exposed veterans experienced PTSD symptom exacerbations over time; however, this occurred at a faster rate among exposed veterans. These findings suggest that in the years following deployment, GWVs who were exposed to both traumatic events and neurotoxicants may experience more severe and chronic PTSD symptoms than those without neurotoxicant exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara G. Zundel
- Research ServiceVA Boston Healthcare SystemBostonMassachusettsUSA,Behavioral Neuroscience ProgramBoston University School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Kathryn Price
- Research ServiceVA Boston Healthcare SystemBostonMassachusettsUSA,Department of PsychologyUniversity of Massachusetts–BostonBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Avron Spiro
- Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information CenterVA Boston Healthcare SystemBostonMassachusettsUSA,Department of EpidemiologyBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMassachusettsUSA,Department of PsychiatryBoston University School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Timothy Heeren
- Department of BiostatisticsBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Kimberly Sullivan
- Department of Environmental HealthBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Maxine H. Krengel
- Research ServiceVA Boston Healthcare SystemBostonMassachusettsUSA,Department of NeurologyBoston University School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
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Sanchez V, Baksh BS, Cabrera K, Choudhury A, Jensen K, Klimas N, Galor A. Dry Eye Symptoms and Signs in US Veterans With Gulf War Illness. Am J Ophthalmol 2022; 237:32-40. [PMID: 34780800 PMCID: PMC9035031 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2021.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To examine dry eye (DE) symptoms and signs in individuals with vs without Gulf War illness (GWI). DESIGN Prospective cross-sectional study. METHODS We performed a prospective, cross-sectional study of South Florida veterans who were active duty during the Gulf War era (GWE; 1990-1991) and seen at an eye clinic between October 1, 2020, and March 13, 2021. Veterans were split into 2 groups: those who met Kansas criteria for GWI (cases, n = 30) and those who did not (controls, n = 41). DE symptoms were assessed via standardized questionnaires whereas DE signs were assessed using a series of ocular surface parameters. Differences between groups were assessed via Mann-Whitney U test. Linear regression analyses were used to examine which GWI symptoms most closely aligned with DE symptoms. RESULTS Veterans with GWI had higher DE symptoms scores compared to controls (Ocular Surface Disease Index [OSDI] scores: mean 41.20±22.92 vs 27.99±24.03, P = .01). In addition, veterans with GWI had higher eye pain scores compared with controls (average eye pain over past week: 2.63±2.72 vs 1.22±1.50, P = .03), including on neuropathic ocular pain questionnaires (Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory modified for the Eye [NPSI-E]: 17.33±17.20 vs 9.63±12.64, P = .03). DE signs were mostly similar between the groups. GWI symptoms "nausea or upset stomach" (β=14.58, SE = 3.02, P < .001) and "headache" (β=7.90, SE = 2.91, P = .011) correlated with higher OSDI scores. CONCLUSION Individuals with GWI have more severe DE symptoms and ocular pain scores but similar tear and ocular surface parameters compared to controls without GWI. This finding suggests that mechanisms beyond tear dysfunction drive eye symptoms in GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Sanchez
- From the New York University Grossman School of Medicine (V.S.), New York, New York; University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (B.S.B., A.C., N.K., A.G.), Miami, Florida; Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center (K.C.), Miami, Florida; and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami (A.C., A.G.), Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Brandon S Baksh
- From the New York University Grossman School of Medicine (V.S.), New York, New York; University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (B.S.B., A.C., N.K., A.G.), Miami, Florida; Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center (K.C.), Miami, Florida; and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami (A.C., A.G.), Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Kimberly Cabrera
- From the New York University Grossman School of Medicine (V.S.), New York, New York; University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (B.S.B., A.C., N.K., A.G.), Miami, Florida; Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center (K.C.), Miami, Florida; and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami (A.C., A.G.), Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Anjalee Choudhury
- From the New York University Grossman School of Medicine (V.S.), New York, New York; University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (B.S.B., A.C., N.K., A.G.), Miami, Florida; Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center (K.C.), Miami, Florida; and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami (A.C., A.G.), Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Katherine Jensen
- From the New York University Grossman School of Medicine (V.S.), New York, New York; University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (B.S.B., A.C., N.K., A.G.), Miami, Florida; Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center (K.C.), Miami, Florida; and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami (A.C., A.G.), Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Nancy Klimas
- From the New York University Grossman School of Medicine (V.S.), New York, New York; University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (B.S.B., A.C., N.K., A.G.), Miami, Florida; Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center (K.C.), Miami, Florida; and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami (A.C., A.G.), Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Anat Galor
- From the New York University Grossman School of Medicine (V.S.), New York, New York; University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (B.S.B., A.C., N.K., A.G.), Miami, Florida; Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center (K.C.), Miami, Florida; and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami (A.C., A.G.), Miami, Florida, USA..
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Weisskopf MG, Sullivan KA. Invited Perspective: Causal Implications of Gene by Environment Studies Applied to Gulf War Illness. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:51301. [PMID: 35543506 PMCID: PMC9093160 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marc G. Weisskopf
- Departments of Environmental Health and Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kimberly A. Sullivan
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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The pandemic brain: Neuroinflammation in non-infected individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 102:89-97. [PMID: 35181440 PMCID: PMC8847082 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
While COVID-19 research has seen an explosion in the literature, the impact of pandemic-related societal and lifestyle disruptions on brain health among the uninfected remains underexplored. However, a global increase in the prevalence of fatigue, brain fog, depression and other "sickness behavior"-like symptoms implicates a possible dysregulation in neuroimmune mechanisms even among those never infected by the virus. We compared fifty-seven 'Pre-Pandemic' and fifteen 'Pandemic' datasets from individuals originally enrolled as control subjects for various completed, or ongoing, research studies available in our records, with a confirmed negative test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We used a combination of multimodal molecular brain imaging (simultaneous positron emission tomography / magnetic resonance spectroscopy), behavioral measurements, imaging transcriptomics and serum testing to uncover links between pandemic-related stressors and neuroinflammation. Healthy individuals examined after the enforcement of 2020 lockdown/stay-at-home measures demonstrated elevated brain levels of two independent neuroinflammatory markers (the 18 kDa translocator protein, TSPO, and myoinositol) compared to pre-lockdown subjects. The serum levels of two inflammatory markers (interleukin-16 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) were also elevated, although these effects did not reach statistical significance after correcting for multiple comparisons. Subjects endorsing higher symptom burden showed higher TSPO signal in the hippocampus (mood alteration, mental fatigue), intraparietal sulcus and precuneus (physical fatigue), compared to those reporting little/no symptoms. Post-lockdown TSPO signal changes were spatially aligned with the constitutive expression of several genes involved in immune/neuroimmune functions. This work implicates neuroimmune activation as a possible mechanism underlying the non-virally-mediated symptoms experienced by many during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies will be needed to corroborate and further interpret these preliminary findings.
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Attaluri S, Upadhya R, Kodali M, Madhu LN, Upadhya D, Shuai B, Shetty AK. Brain-Specific Increase in Leukotriene Signaling Accompanies Chronic Neuroinflammation and Cognitive Impairment in a Model of Gulf War Illness. Front Immunol 2022; 13:853000. [PMID: 35572589 PMCID: PMC9099214 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.853000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent cognitive impairment is a primary central nervous system-related symptom in veterans afflicted with chronic Gulf War Illness (GWI). Previous studies in a rat model have revealed that cognitive dysfunction in chronic GWI is associated with neuroinflammation, typified by astrocyte hypertrophy, activated microglia, and enhanced proinflammatory cytokine levels. Studies in a mouse model of GWI have also shown upregulation of several phospholipids that serve as reservoirs of arachidonic acid, a precursor of leukotrienes (LTs). However, it is unknown whether altered LT signaling is a component of chronic neuroinflammatory conditions in GWI. Therefore, this study investigated changes in LT signaling in the brain of rats displaying significant cognitive impairments six months after exposure to GWI-related chemicals and moderate stress. The concentration of cysteinyl LTs (CysLTs), LTB4, and 5-Lipoxygenase (5-LOX), the synthesizing enzyme of LTs, were evaluated. CysLT and LTB4 concentrations were elevated in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex, along with enhanced 5-LOX expression in neurons and microglia. Such changes were also associated with increased proinflammatory cytokine levels in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. Enhanced CysLT and LTB4 levels in the brain could also be gleaned from their concentrations in brain-derived extracellular vesicles in the circulating blood. The circulating blood in GWI rats displayed elevated proinflammatory cytokines with no alterations in CysLT and LTB4 concentrations. The results provide new evidence that a brain-specific increase in LT signaling is another adverse alteration that potentially contributes to the maintenance of chronic neuroinflammation in GWI. Therefore, drugs capable of modulating LT signaling may reduce neuroinflammation and improve cognitive function in GWI. Additional findings demonstrate that altered LT levels in the brain could be tracked efficiently by analyzing brain-derived EVs in the circulating blood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ashok K. Shetty
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX, United States
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Attaluri S, Arora M, Madhu LN, Kodali M, Shuai B, Melissari L, Upadhya R, Rao X, Bates A, Mitra E, Ghahfarouki KR, Ravikumar MNV, Shetty AK. Oral Nano-Curcumin in a Model of Chronic Gulf War Illness Alleviates Brain Dysfunction with Modulation of Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Function, Neuroinflammation, Neurogenesis, and Gene Expression. Aging Dis 2022; 13:583-613. [PMID: 35371600 PMCID: PMC8947830 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2021.0829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Unrelenting cognitive and mood impairments concomitant with incessant oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are among the significant symptoms of chronic Gulf War Illness (GWI). Curcumin (CUR), an antiinflammatory compound, has shown promise to alleviate brain dysfunction in a model of GWI following intraperitoneal administrations at a high dose. However, low bioavailability after oral treatment has hampered its clinical translation. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy of low-dose, intermittent, oral polymer nanoparticle encapsulated CUR (nCUR) for improving brain function in a rat model of chronic GWI. Intermittent administration of 10 or 20 mg/Kg nCUR for 8 weeks in the early phase of GWI improved brain function and reduced oxidative stress (OS) and neuroinflammation. We next examined the efficacy of 12-weeks of intermittent nCUR at 10 mg/Kg in GWI animals, with treatment commencing 8 months after exposure to GWI-related chemicals and stress, mimicking treatment for the persistent cognitive and mood dysfunction displayed by veterans with GWI. GWI rats receiving nCUR exhibited better cognitive and mood function associated with improved mitochondrial function and diminished neuroinflammation in the hippocampus. Improved mitochondrial function was evident from normalized expression of OS markers, antioxidants, and mitochondrial electron transport genes, and complex proteins. Lessened neuroinflammation was noticeable from reductions in astrocyte hypertrophy, NF-kB, activated microglia with NLRP3 inflammasomes, and multiple proinflammatory cytokines. Moreover, nCUR treated animals displayed enhanced neurogenesis with a normalized expression of synaptophysin puncta, and multiple genes linked to cognitive dysfunction. Thus, low-dose, intermittent, oral nCUR therapy has promise for improving brain function in veterans with GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahithi Attaluri
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA.
| | - Meenakshi Arora
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Leelavathi N Madhu
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA.
| | - Maheedhar Kodali
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA.
| | - Bing Shuai
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA.
| | - Laila Melissari
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA.
| | - Raghavendra Upadhya
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA.
| | - Xiaolan Rao
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA.
| | - Adrian Bates
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA.
| | - Eeshika Mitra
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA.
| | - Keyhan R Ghahfarouki
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA.
| | - M. N. V Ravikumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Ashok K Shetty
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, Texas, USA.
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Iannucci J, Nizamutdinov D, Shapiro LA. Neurogenesis and chronic neurobehavioral outcomes are partially improved by vagus nerve stimulation in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness. Neurotoxicology 2022; 90:205-215. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Farooq RK, Alamoudi W, Alhibshi A, Rehman S, Sharma AR, Abdulla FA. Varied Composition and Underlying Mechanisms of Gut Microbiome in Neuroinflammation. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10040705. [PMID: 35456757 PMCID: PMC9032006 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10040705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The human gut microbiome has been implicated in a host of bodily functions and their regulation, including brain development and cognition. Neuroinflammation is a relatively newer piece of the puzzle and is implicated in the pathogenesis of many neurological disorders. The microbiome of the gut may alter the inflammatory signaling inside the brain through the secretion of short-chain fatty acids, controlling the availability of amino acid tryptophan and altering vagal activation. Studies in Korea and elsewhere highlight a strong link between microbiome dynamics and neurocognitive states, including personality. For these reasons, re-establishing microbial flora of the gut looks critical for keeping neuroinflammation from putting the whole system aflame through probiotics and allotransplantation of the fecal microbiome. However, the numerosity of the microbiome remains a challenge. For this purpose, it is suggested that wherever possible, a fecal microbial auto-transplant may prove more effective. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the role of the microbiome in neuroinflammation and the various mechanism involved in this process. As an example, we have also discussed the autism spectrum disorder and the implication of neuroinflammation and microbiome in its pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rai Khalid Farooq
- Department of Neuroscience Research, Institute of Research and Medical Consultations, Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (W.A.); (A.A.); (F.A.A.)
- Correspondence: (R.K.F.); (S.R.)
| | - Widyan Alamoudi
- Department of Neuroscience Research, Institute of Research and Medical Consultations, Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (W.A.); (A.A.); (F.A.A.)
| | - Amani Alhibshi
- Department of Neuroscience Research, Institute of Research and Medical Consultations, Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (W.A.); (A.A.); (F.A.A.)
| | - Suriya Rehman
- Department of Epidemic Diseases Research, Institute of Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: (R.K.F.); (S.R.)
| | - Ashish Ranjan Sharma
- Institute for Skeletal Aging & Orthopedic Surgery, Hallym University-Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon-si 24252, Gangwon-do, Korea;
| | - Fuad A. Abdulla
- Department of Neuroscience Research, Institute of Research and Medical Consultations, Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (W.A.); (A.A.); (F.A.A.)
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 2435, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
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Shastry N, Sultana E, Jeffrey M, Collado F, Kibler J, DeLucia C, Fletcher MA, Klimas N, Craddock TJA. The impact of post-traumatic stress on quality of life and fatigue in women with Gulf War Illness. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:42. [PMID: 35216624 PMCID: PMC8876751 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00752-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic, multi-symptomatic disorder characterized by fatigue, muscle pain, cognitive problems, insomnia, rashes, and gastrointestinal issues affecting an estimated 30% of the ~ 750,000 returning military Veterans of the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War. Female Veterans deployed to combat in this war report medical symptoms, like cognition and respiratory troubles, at twice the rate compared to non-deployed female Veterans of the same era. The heterogeneity of GWI symptom presentation complicates diagnosis as well as the identification of effective treatments. This is exacerbated by the presence of co-morbidities. Defining subgroups of the illness may help alleviate these complications. One clear grouping is along the lines of gender. Our aim is to determine if women with GWI can be further subdivided into distinct subgroups based on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom presentation. Methods Veterans diagnosed with GWI (n = 35) and healthy sedentary controls (n = 35) were recruited through the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Health Center. Symptoms were assessed via the RAND short form health survey, the multidimensional fatigue inventory, and the Davidson trauma scale. Hierarchal regression modeling was performed on measures of health and fatigue with PTSD symptoms as a covariate. This was followed by univariate analyses conducted with two separate GWI groups based on a cut-point of 70 for their total Davidson trauma scale value and performing heteroscedastic t-tests across all measures. Results Based on the distinct differences found in PTSD symptomology regarding all health and trauma symptoms, two subgroups were derived within female GWI Veterans. Hierarchical regression models displayed the comorbid effects of GWI and PTSD, as both conditions had measurable impacts on quality of life and fatigue (ΔR2 = 0.08–0.672), with notable differences in mental and emotional measures. Overall, a cut point analysis indicated poorer quality of life and greater fatigue within all measures for women with GWI and PTSD symptoms in comparison to those women with GWI without PTSD symptoms and healthy controls. Conclusions Our current findings support the understanding that comorbid symptoms of GWI and PTSD subsequently result in poorer quality of life and fatigue, along with establishing the possibility of varying clinical presentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandan Shastry
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Esha Sultana
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Mary Jeffrey
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, USA
| | - Fanny Collado
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, USA
| | - Jeffrey Kibler
- Department of Clinical and School Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Christian DeLucia
- Department of Clinical and School Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Mary Ann Fletcher
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, USA.,Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Nancy Klimas
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, USA.,Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Travis J A Craddock
- Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA. .,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA. .,Department of Clinical Immunology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA. .,Department of Computer Science, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
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Oberlin S, Nkiliza A, Parks M, Evans JE, Klimas N, Keegan AP, Sullivan K, Krengel MH, Mullan M, Crawford F, Abdullah L. Sex-specific differences in plasma lipid profiles are associated with Gulf War Illness. J Transl Med 2022; 20:73. [PMID: 35123492 PMCID: PMC8817550 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03272-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Nearly 250,000 veterans from the 1990–1991 Gulf War have Gulf War Illness (GWI), a condition with heterogeneous pathobiology that remains difficult to diagnose. As such, availability of blood biomarkers that reflect the underlying biology of GWI would help clinicians provide appropriate care to ill veterans. In this study, we measured blood lipids to examine the influence of sex on the association between blood lipids and GWI diagnosis. Methods Plasma lipid extracts from GWI (n = 100) and control (n = 45) participants were subjected to reversed-phase nano-flow liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Results An influence of sex and GWI case status on plasma neutral lipid and phospholipid species was observed. Among male participants, triglycerides, diglycerides, and phosphatidylcholines were increased while cholesterol esters were decreased in GWI cases compared to controls. In female participants, ceramides were increased in GWI cases compared to controls. Among male participants, unsaturated triglycerides, phosphatidylcholine and diglycerides were increased while unsaturated cholesterol esters were lower in GWI cases compared to controls. The ratio of arachidonic acid- to docosahexaenoic acid-containing triglyceride species was increased in female and male GWI cases as compared to their sex-matched controls. Conclusion Differential modulation of neutral lipids and ratios of arachidonic acid to docosahexaenoic acid in male veterans with GWI suggest metabolic dysfunction and inflammation. Increases in ceramides among female veterans with GWI also suggest activation of inflammatory pathways. Future research should characterize how these lipids and their associated pathways relate to GWI pathology to identify biomarkers of the disorder. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-022-03272-3.
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Kozlova EV, Carabelli B, Bishay AE, Liu R, Denys ME, Macbeth JC, Piamthai V, Crawford MS, McCole DF, Zur Nieden NI, Hsiao A, Curras-Collazo MC. Induction of distinct neuroinflammatory markers and gut dysbiosis by differential pyridostigmine bromide dosing in a chronic mouse model of GWI showing persistent exercise fatigue and cognitive impairment. Life Sci 2022; 288:120153. [PMID: 34801513 PMCID: PMC9048156 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.120153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To characterize neuroinflammatory and gut dysbiosis signatures that accompany exaggerated exercise fatigue and cognitive/mood deficits in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness (GWI). METHODS Adult male C57Bl/6N mice were exposed for 28 d (5 d/wk) to pyridostigmine bromide (P.O.) at 6.5 mg/kg/d, b.i.d. (GW1) or 8.7 mg/kg/d, q.d. (GW2); topical permethrin (1.3 mg/kg), topical N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (33%) and restraint stress (5 min). Animals were phenotypically evaluated as described in an accompanying article [124] and sacrificed at 6.6 months post-treatment (PT) to allow measurement of brain neuroinflammation/neuropathic pain gene expression, hippocampal glial fibrillary acidic protein, brain Interleukin-6, gut dysbiosis and serum endotoxin. KEY FINDINGS Compared to GW1, GW2 showed a more intense neuroinflammatory transcriptional signature relative to sham stress controls. Interleukin-6 was elevated in GW2 and astrogliosis in hippocampal CA1 was seen in both GW groups. Beta-diversity PCoA using weighted Unifrac revealed that gut microbial communities changed after exposure to GW2 at PT188. Both GW1 and GW2 displayed systemic endotoxemia, suggesting a gut-brain mechanism underlies the neuropathological signatures. Using germ-free mice, probiotic supplementation with Lactobacillus reuteri produced less gut permeability than microbiota transplantation using GW2 feces. SIGNIFICANCE Our findings demonstrate that GW agents dose-dependently induce differential neuropathology and gut dysbiosis associated with cognitive, exercise fatigue and mood GWI phenotypes. Establishment of a comprehensive animal model that recapitulates multiple GWI symptom domains and neuroinflammation has significant implications for uncovering pathophysiology, improving diagnosis and treatment for GWI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V Kozlova
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Bruno Carabelli
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Anthony E Bishay
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Rui Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA; Graduate Program in Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Maximillian E Denys
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - John C Macbeth
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA; Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Varadh Piamthai
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Meli'sa S Crawford
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Declan F McCole
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Nicole I Zur Nieden
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Ansel Hsiao
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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Raijmakers R, Roerink M, Keijmel S, Joosten L, Netea M, van der Meer J, Knoop H, Klein H, Bleeker-Rovers C, Doorduin J. No Signs of Neuroinflammation in Women With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Q Fever Fatigue Syndrome Using the TSPO Ligand [ 11C]-PK11195. NEUROLOGY(R) NEUROIMMUNOLOGY & NEUROINFLAMMATION 2022; 9:9/1/e1113. [PMID: 34815320 PMCID: PMC8611501 DOI: 10.1212/nxi.0000000000001113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objectives The pathophysiology of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and Q fever fatigue syndrome (QFS) remains elusive. Recent data suggest a role for neuroinflammation as defined by increased expression of translocator protein (TSPO). In the present study, we investigated whether there are signs of neuroinflammation in female patients with CFS and QFS compared with healthy women, using PET with the TSPO ligand 11C-(R)-(2-chlorophenyl)-N-methyl-N-(1-methylpropyl)-3-isoquinoline-carbox-amide ([11C]-PK11195). Methods The study population consisted of patients with CFS (n = 9), patients with QFS (n = 10), and healthy subjects (HSs) (n = 9). All subjects were women, matched for age (±5 years) and neighborhood, aged between 18 and 59 years, who did not use any medication other than paracetamol or oral contraceptives, and were not vaccinated in the last 6 months. None of the subjects reported substance abuse in the past 3 months or reported signs of underlying psychiatric disease on the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. All subjects underwent a [11C]-PK11195 PET scan, and the [11C]-PK11195 binding potential (BPND) was calculated. Results No statistically significant differences in BPND were found for patients with CFS or patients with QFS compared with HSs. BPND of [11C]-PK11195 correlated with symptom severity scores in patients with QFS, but a negative correlation was found in patients with CFS. Discussion In contrast to what was previously reported for CFS, we found no significant difference in BPND of [11C]-PK11195 when comparing patients with CFS or QFS with healthy neighborhood controls. In this small series, we were unable to find signs of neuroinflammation in patients with CFS and QFS. Trial Registration Information EudraCT number 2014-004448-37.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruud Raijmakers
- From the Radboud Expertise Center for Q Fever (R.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center; Department of Internal Medicine (R.R., M.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Medical Psychology (H. Knoop), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam; Department of Psychiatry (H. Klein), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen; and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (J.D.), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Megan Roerink
- From the Radboud Expertise Center for Q Fever (R.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center; Department of Internal Medicine (R.R., M.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Medical Psychology (H. Knoop), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam; Department of Psychiatry (H. Klein), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen; and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (J.D.), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Stephan Keijmel
- From the Radboud Expertise Center for Q Fever (R.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center; Department of Internal Medicine (R.R., M.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Medical Psychology (H. Knoop), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam; Department of Psychiatry (H. Klein), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen; and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (J.D.), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Leo Joosten
- From the Radboud Expertise Center for Q Fever (R.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center; Department of Internal Medicine (R.R., M.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Medical Psychology (H. Knoop), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam; Department of Psychiatry (H. Klein), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen; and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (J.D.), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Mihai Netea
- From the Radboud Expertise Center for Q Fever (R.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center; Department of Internal Medicine (R.R., M.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Medical Psychology (H. Knoop), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam; Department of Psychiatry (H. Klein), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen; and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (J.D.), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jos van der Meer
- From the Radboud Expertise Center for Q Fever (R.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center; Department of Internal Medicine (R.R., M.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Medical Psychology (H. Knoop), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam; Department of Psychiatry (H. Klein), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen; and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (J.D.), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Hans Knoop
- From the Radboud Expertise Center for Q Fever (R.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center; Department of Internal Medicine (R.R., M.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Medical Psychology (H. Knoop), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam; Department of Psychiatry (H. Klein), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen; and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (J.D.), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Hans Klein
- From the Radboud Expertise Center for Q Fever (R.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center; Department of Internal Medicine (R.R., M.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Medical Psychology (H. Knoop), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam; Department of Psychiatry (H. Klein), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen; and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (J.D.), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Chantal Bleeker-Rovers
- From the Radboud Expertise Center for Q Fever (R.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center; Department of Internal Medicine (R.R., M.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Medical Psychology (H. Knoop), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam; Department of Psychiatry (H. Klein), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen; and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (J.D.), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Janine Doorduin
- From the Radboud Expertise Center for Q Fever (R.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center; Department of Internal Medicine (R.R., M.R., S.K., L.J., M.N., J.M., C.B.-R.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Medical Psychology (H. Knoop), Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam; Department of Psychiatry (H. Klein), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen; and Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (J.D.), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands
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Chauveau F, Becker G, Boutin H. Have (R)-[ 11C]PK11195 challengers fulfilled the promise? A scoping review of clinical TSPO PET studies. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2021; 49:201-220. [PMID: 34387719 PMCID: PMC8712292 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-021-05425-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The prototypical TSPO radiotracer (R)-[11C]PK11195 has been used in humans for more than thirty years to visualize neuroinflammation in several pathologies. Alternative radiotracers have been developed to improve signal-to-noise ratio and started to be tested clinically in 2008. Here we examined the scientific value of these "(R)-[11C]PK11195 challengers" in clinical research to determine if they could supersede (R)-[11C]PK11195. METHODS A systematic MEDLINE (PubMed) search was performed (up to end of year 2020) to extract publications reporting TSPO PET in patients with identified pathologies, excluding studies in healthy subjects and methodological studies. RESULTS Of the 288 publications selected, 152 used 13 challengers, and 142 used (R)-[11C]PK11195. Over the last 20 years, the number of (R)-[11C]PK11195 studies remained stable (6 ± 3 per year), but was surpassed by the total number of challenger studies for the last 6 years. In total, 3914 patients underwent a TSPO PET scan, and 47% (1851 patients) received (R)-[11C]PK11195. The 2 main challengers were [11C]PBR28 (24%-938 patients) and [18F]FEPPA (11%-429 patients). Only one-in-ten patients (11%-447) underwent 2 TSPO scans, among whom 40 (1%) were scanned with 2 different TSPO radiotracers. CONCLUSIONS Generally, challengers confirmed disease-specific initial (R)-[11C]PK11195 findings. However, while their better signal-to-noise ratio seems particularly useful in diseases with moderate and widespread neuroinflammation, most challengers present an allelic-dependent (Ala147Thr polymorphism) TSPO binding and genetic stratification is hindering their clinical implementation. As new challengers, insensitive to TSPO human polymorphism, are about to enter clinical evaluation, we propose this systematic review to be regularly updated (living review).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Chauveau
- University of Lyon, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
| | - Guillaume Becker
- GIGA - CRC In Vivo Imaging, University Liege, Liege, Belgium
- University of Lyon, CarMeN Laboratory, INSERM U1060, University Lyon 1, Hospices Civils Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Hervé Boutin
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Northern Care Alliance & University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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Michalovicz LT, Kelly KA, Miller DB, Sullivan K, O'Callaghan JP. The β-adrenergic receptor blocker and anti-inflammatory drug propranolol mitigates brain cytokine expression in a long-term model of Gulf War Illness. Life Sci 2021; 285:119962. [PMID: 34563566 PMCID: PMC9047058 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Aims: Growing evidence suggests that Gulf War Illness (GWI) is the result of underlying neuroimmune dysfunction. For example, previously we found that several GWI-relevant organophosphate acetylcholinesterase inhibitors produce heightened neuroinflammatory responses following subchronic exposure to stress hormone as a mimic of high physiological stress. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the potential for the β-adrenergic receptor inhibitor and anti-inflammatory drug, propranolol, to treat neuroinflammation in a novel long-term mouse model of GWI. Main methods: Adult male C57BL/6J mice received a subchronic exposure to corticosterone (CORT) at levels mimicking high physiological stress followed by exposure to the sarin surrogate, diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP). These mice were then re-exposed to CORT every other week for a total of five weeks, followed by a systemic immune challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Animals receiving the propranolol treatment were given a single dose (20 mg/kg, i.p.) either four or 11 days prior to the LPS challenge. The potential anti-neuroinflammatory effects of propranolol were interrogated by analysis of cytokine mRNA expression. Key findings: We found that our long-term GWI model produces a primed neuroinflammatory response to subsequent immune challenge that is dependent upon GWI-relevant organophosphate exposure. Propranolol treatment abrogated the elaboration of inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression in the brain instigated in our model, having no treatment effects in non-DFP exposed groups. Significance: Our results indicate that propranolol may be a promising therapy for GWI with the potential to treat the underlying neuroinflammation associated with the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay T Michalovicz
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Kimberly A Kelly
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Diane B Miller
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | | | - James P O'Callaghan
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA.
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Sander CY, Bovo S, Torrado-Carvajal A, Albrecht D, Deng H, Napadow V, Price JC, Hooker JM, Loggia ML. [ 11C]PBR28 radiotracer kinetics are not driven by alterations in cerebral blood flow. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2021; 41:3069-3084. [PMID: 34159823 PMCID: PMC8756484 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x211023387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer [11C]PBR28 has been increasingly used to image the translocator protein (TSPO) as a marker of neuroinflammation in a variety of brain disorders. Interrelatedly, similar clinical populations can also exhibit altered brain perfusion, as has been shown using arterial spin labelling in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. Hence, an unsolved debate has revolved around whether changes in perfusion could alter delivery, uptake, or washout of the radiotracer [11C]PBR28, and thereby influence outcome measures that affect interpretation of TSPO upregulation. In this simultaneous PET/MRI study, we demonstrate that [11C]PBR28 signal elevations in chronic low back pain patients are not accompanied, in the same regions, by increases in cerebral blood flow (CBF) compared to healthy controls, and that areas of marginal hypoperfusion are not accompanied by decreases in [11C]PBR28 signal. In non-human primates, we show that hypercapnia-induced increases in CBF during radiotracer delivery or washout do not alter [11C]PBR28 outcome measures. The combined results from two methodologically distinct experiments provide support from human data and direct experimental evidence from non-human primates that changes in CBF do not influence outcome measures reported by [11C]PBR28 PET imaging studies and corresponding interpretations of the biological meaning of TSPO upregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christin Y Sander
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stefano Bovo
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Angel Torrado-Carvajal
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Medical Image Analysis and Biometry Laboratory, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Albrecht
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Hongping Deng
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Vitaly Napadow
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julie C Price
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jacob M Hooker
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marco L Loggia
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Keating D, Zundel CG, Abreu M, Krengel M, Aenlle K, Nichols MD, Toomey R, Chao LL, Golier J, Abdullah L, Quinn E, Heeren T, Groh JR, Koo BB, Killiany R, Loggia ML, Younger J, Baraniuk J, Janulewicz P, Ajama J, Quay M, Baas PW, Qiang L, Conboy L, Kokkotou E, O'Callaghan JP, Steele L, Klimas N, Sullivan K. Boston biorepository, recruitment and integrative network (BBRAIN): A resource for the Gulf War Illness scientific community. Life Sci 2021; 284:119903. [PMID: 34453948 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Gulf War Illness (GWI), a chronic debilitating disorder characterized by fatigue, joint pain, cognitive, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and skin problems, is currently diagnosed by self-reported symptoms. The Boston Biorepository, Recruitment, and Integrative Network (BBRAIN) is the collaborative effort of expert Gulf War Illness (GWI) researchers who are creating objective diagnostic and pathobiological markers and recommend common data elements for GWI research. MAIN METHODS BBRAIN is recruiting 300 GWI cases and 200 GW veteran controls for the prospective study. Key data and biological samples from prior GWI studies are being merged and combined into retrospective datasets. They will be made available for data mining by the BBRAIN network and the GWI research community. Prospective questionnaire data include general health and chronic symptoms, demographics, measures of pain, fatigue, medical conditions, deployment and exposure histories. Available repository biospecimens include blood, plasma, serum, saliva, stool, urine, human induced pluripotent stem cells and cerebrospinal fluid. KEY FINDINGS To date, multiple datasets have been merged and combined from 15 participating study sites. These data and samples have been collated and an online request form for repository requests as well as recommended common data elements have been created. Data and biospecimen sample requests are reviewed by the BBRAIN steering committee members for approval as they are received. SIGNIFICANCE The BBRAIN repository network serves as a much needed resource for GWI researchers to utilize for identification and validation of objective diagnostic and pathobiological markers of the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Keating
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 715 Albany St. T4W, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - C G Zundel
- Boston University School of Medicine, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - M Abreu
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Institute for Neuroimmune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Miami VA Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA.
| | - M Krengel
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - K Aenlle
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Institute for Neuroimmune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Miami VA Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA.
| | - M D Nichols
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 715 Albany St. T4W, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - R Toomey
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA, USA.
| | - L L Chao
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
| | - J Golier
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, OOMH-526, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; Psychiatry Department, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1428 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - L Abdullah
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom; James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - E Quinn
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - T Heeren
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, 715 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - J R Groh
- Boston University School of Medicine, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - B B Koo
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - R Killiany
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 715 Albany St. T4W, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA; Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - M L Loggia
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
| | - J Younger
- Neuroinflammation, Pain & Fatigue Lab, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - J Baraniuk
- Department of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - P Janulewicz
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 715 Albany St. T4W, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - J Ajama
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 715 Albany St. T4W, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - M Quay
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 715 Albany St. T4W, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - P W Baas
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA.
| | - L Qiang
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA.
| | - L Conboy
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - E Kokkotou
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - J P O'Callaghan
- Health Effects Laboratory Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA.
| | - L Steele
- Baylor College of Medicine Neuropsychiatry Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - N Klimas
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Institute for Neuroimmune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Miami VA Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA.
| | - K Sullivan
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 715 Albany St. T4W, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
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Yates PL, Patil A, Sun X, Niceforo A, Gill R, Callahan P, Beck W, Piermarini E, Terry AV, Sullivan KA, Baas PW, Qiang L. A cellular approach to understanding and treating Gulf War Illness. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:6941-6961. [PMID: 34580742 PMCID: PMC9669894 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03942-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Gulf War Illness (GWI), a disorder suffered by approximately 200,000 veterans of the first Gulf War, was caused by exposure to low-level organophosphate pesticides and nerve agents in combination with battlefield stress. To elucidate the mechanistic basis of the brain-related symptoms of GWI, human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) derived from veterans with or without GWI were differentiated into forebrain glutamatergic neurons and then exposed to a Gulf War (GW) relevant toxicant regimen consisting of a sarin analog and cortisol, a human stress hormone. Elevated levels of total and phosphorylated tau, reduced microtubule acetylation, altered mitochondrial dynamics/transport, and decreased neuronal activity were observed in neurons exposed to the toxicant regimen. Some of the data are consistent with the possibility that some veterans may have been predisposed to acquire GWI. Wistar rats exposed to a similar toxicant regimen showed a mild learning and memory deficit, as well as cell loss and tau pathology selectively in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. These cellular responses offer a mechanistic explanation for the memory loss suffered by veterans with GWI and provide a cell-based model for screening drugs and developing personalized therapies for these veterans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip L Yates
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Ankita Patil
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Xiaohuan Sun
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Alessia Niceforo
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Ramnik Gill
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Patrick Callahan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Wayne Beck
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Emanuela Piermarini
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Alvin V Terry
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Kimberly A Sullivan
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Peter W Baas
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Liang Qiang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA.
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Coller JK, Tuke J, Wain TJ, Quinn E, Steele L, Abreu M, Aenlle K, Klimas N, Sullivan K. Associations of Immune Genetic Variability with Gulf War Illness in 1990-1991 Gulf War Veterans from the Gulf War Illness Consortium (GWIC) Multisite Case-Control Study. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11111410. [PMID: 34827409 PMCID: PMC8615505 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Gulf War illness (GWI) encompasses a constellation of persistent debilitating symptoms associated with significant changes in central nervous system (CNS) and immune functioning. Currently, there is no validated biomarker for GWI risk susceptibility. Given the impact of immune responses linked to GWI symptomology, genetic variability that causes persistent inflammatory/immune alterations may be key. This Boston University-based Gulf War Illness Consortium (GWIC) study investigated the impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in variants of immune and pain genetic markers IL1B, IL2, IL6, IL6R, IL10, TNF, TGF, TLR2, TLR4, MD2, MYD88, BDNF, CRP, ICE, COMT and OPRM1 on GWI occurrence in a Caucasian subset of Gulf War (GW) veterans with (cases, n = 170) and without (controls, n = 34) GWI. Logistic regression modeling created a prediction model of GWI risk that associated genetic variability in TGF (rs1800469, p = 0.009), IL6R (rs8192284, p = 0.004) and TLR4 (rs4986791, p = 0.013) with GWI occurrence. This prediction model was specific and sensitive, with a receiver operator characteristic area under the curve of 71.4%. This is the first report of immune genetic variability being predictive of GWI and warrants validation in larger independent cohorts. Future reports will present interactions of these genetic risk factors with other characteristics of GW service.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet K. Coller
- Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, South Australia, Australia;
- Correspondence:
| | - Jonathan Tuke
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, South Australia, Australia;
| | - Taylor J. Wain
- Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, South Australia, Australia;
| | - Emily Quinn
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
| | - Lea Steele
- Veterans Health Research Program, Beth K. and Stuart C. Yudofsky Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Maria Abreu
- Institute for Neuroimmune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; (M.A.); (K.A.); (N.K.)
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Research Service, Miami VA Healthcare System, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Kristina Aenlle
- Institute for Neuroimmune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; (M.A.); (K.A.); (N.K.)
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Research Service, Miami VA Healthcare System, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Nancy Klimas
- Institute for Neuroimmune Medicine, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; (M.A.); (K.A.); (N.K.)
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami VA Healthcare System Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center Healthcare System, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Kimberly Sullivan
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
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Association of the tissue microstructural diffusivity and translocator protein PET in Gulf War Illness. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 18:100364. [PMID: 34693367 PMCID: PMC8515380 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
About a third of all United States veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War (GW) report a range of chronic health symptoms including fatigue, neurocognitive symptoms, and musculoskeletal pain. There is growing evidence supporting the detrimental effects of maladaptive neuroimmune reactions in this multi-symptom illness. Indeed, recent studies using positron emission tomography (PET) using the radioligand [11C]PBR28, which binds the neuroinflammation marker 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO), and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) have independently identified the anterior cingulate (ACC) and midcingulate cortices (MCC) as key regions for differentiating GWI veterans from healthy controls (HC). Here, we used integrated (i.e., simultaneous) PET/MRI imaging techniques, paired with dMRI processing methods (neurite density imaging, NDI, and free-water diffusion tensor model to single-shell high-order dMRI), to directly evaluate the relationship between ACC and MCC microstructural tissue parameters, TSPO signal and clinical parameters in the same cohorts of 10 GWI veterans and 19 HCs. Within the regions evaluated, TSPO signal elevations were associated with restricted diffusivity in the extracellular compartment, while clinical measures were best explained by neurite density and cellular structure complexity measures. Our study is the first to provide evidence of a relationship between PET and dMRI modalities in GWI and suggests that microstructural changes in the ACC and MCC are correlated to mood symptoms and cognitive performances in GWI veterans.
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50
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A pilot [ 11C]PBR28 PET/MRI study of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in chronic stroke patients. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 17:100336. [PMID: 34589819 PMCID: PMC8474408 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation occurs in response to acute ischemic stroke, and has been speculated to underlie secondary poststroke pathologies, such as depression, that often develop over time poststroke. However, no study has examined whether neuroinflammation is present in chronic stroke patients (e.g., ≥ 1 year poststroke). This study tested whether neuroinflammation is present in chronic stroke patients, and is associated with neurodegeneration, using [11C]PBR28 PET and diffusion MRI. Eight patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) ischemic stroke incurred 1–3 years prior and 16 healthy controls underwent [11C]PBR28 PET to measure glial activation and diffusion MRI to measure microstructural integrity by mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) using an integrated PET/MRI scanner. Group differences in [11C]PBR28 binding, MD and FA were analyzed voxelwise across the whole brain excluding the infarct zone defined as voxels containing the infarct in any patient. Compared to controls, patients showed elevations in [11C]PBR28 binding in several brain regions outside the infarct zone, including regions with presumed direct neuroanatomical connections to the infarct (e.g., ipsilesional internal capsule and thalamus) and those without known direct connections (e.g., contralesional thalamus and cingulate gyrus). Patients also showed widespread elevations in MD, with a subset of these regions having reduced FA. In patients, MD was more elevated in regions with co-localized elevations in [11C]PBR28 binding than in contralateral regions without elevations in [11C]PBR28 binding. This pilot study supports the presence of extensive glial activation along with widespread loss in microstructural integrity in non-infarcted tissue in a cohort of patients with chronic MCA stroke. The loss in microstructural integrity was greater in regions with co-localized glial activation. It is possible that stroke risk factors (e.g., hypertension) contributed to these tissue changes in patients. Chronic neuroinflammation speculated to underlie secondary poststroke pathologies such as depression. Measured neuroinflammation in chronic stroke patients using [11C]PBR28 PET. First study showing extensive neuroinflammation in non-infarcted tissue in chronic stroke patients.
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