In-vivo imaging of neuroinflammation in Veterans with Gulf War Illness

Publication date: Available online 4 February 2020Source: Brain, Behavior, and ImmunityAuthor(s): Zeynab Alshelh, Daniel S. Albrecht, Courtney Bergan, Oluwaseun Akeju, Daniel J. Clauw, Lisa Conboy, Robert R. Edwards, Minhae Kim, Yvonne C. Lee, Ekaterina Protsenko, Vitaly Napadow, Kimberly Sullivan, Marco L. LoggiaAbstractGulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic disorder affecting approximately 30% of the veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War. It is characterised by a constellation of symptoms including musculoskeletal pain, cognitive problems and fatigue. The cause of GWI is not definitively known but exposure to neurotoxicants, the prophylactic use of pyridostigmine bromide (PB) pills, and/or stressors during deployment have all been suspected to play some pathogenic role. Recent animal models of GWI have suggested neuroinflammatory mechanisms may be implicated, including a dysregulated activation of microglia and astrocytes. However, neuroinflammation has not previously been directly observed in veterans with GWI. To measure GWI-related neuroinflammation in GW veterans, we conducted a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) study using [11C]PBR28, which binds to the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO), a protein upregulated in activated microglia/macrophages and astrocytes.GWI (n=15) and healthy controls (HC, n=33, including a subgroup of healthy Gulf War veterans, HCVET, n=8), were examined using integrated [11C]PBR28 PET/MRI. Standardized uptake values normalized by occipital cor...
Source: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity - Category: Neurology Source Type: research