Lupus Anticoagulant in Gulf War Illness and Autoimmune Disorders: A Common Pathway Toward Autoimmunity

Abstract

Mounting evidence suggests that autoimmune mechanisms may underlie the chronic symptoms characteristic of Gulf War Illness (GWI). The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies including Lupus Anticoagulant (LA) are often associated with autoimmune disorders. Here we evaluated and compared blood samples from veterans with GWI and veterans with other autoimmune conditions including relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and lupus for the presence of LA using Silica Clotting Time and dilute Russell’s Viper Venom Time assays. Positive LA was identified in onequarter of veterans with GWI; this proportion was not statistically different from the proportion of positive LA identified in patients diagnosed with the other autoimmune conditions. The present findings add to the literature implicating autoimmune mechanisms in GWI and point to the presence of prothrombotic antiphospholipid antibodies as a common contributing factor in GWI and other autoimmune disorders. Furthermore, activation of the coagulation system suggests new potential avenues for treatment for LApositive Gulf War veterans. Lupus Anticoagulant in Gulf War Illness and Autoimmune Disorders: A Common Pathway Toward Autoimmunity Lisa M. James1,2,3, Rachel A. Johnson1, Scott M. Lewis1,4, Adam F. Carpenter1,4, Brian E. Engdahl1,2,5, Hollis E. Krug6,7, Apostolos P. Georgopoulos1,2,3,4* 1Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, USA 2Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA 3Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA 4Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA 5Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA 6Department of Rheumatology, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, USA 7Department of Rheumatology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA