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Articles: Sam T. Donta, Charles C. Engel, Jr., Joseph F. Collins, Joel B. Baseman, Lisa L. Dever, Thomas Taylor, Kathy D. Boardman, Lewis E. Kazis, Suzanne E. Martin, Rebecca A. Horney, Annette L. Wiseman, Douglas S. Kernodle, Raymond P. Smith, Aldona L. Baltch, Christine Handanos, Brian Catto, Luis Montalvo, Michael Everson, Warren Blackburn, Manisha Thakore, Sheldon T. Brown, Larry Lutwick, Dorothy Norwood, Jack Bernstein, Catherine Bacheller, Bruce Ribner, L. W. Preston Church, Kenneth H. Wilson, Prabhakar Guduru, Robert Cooper, Joseph Lentino, Richard J. Hamill, Arnold B. Gorin, Victor Gordan, David Wagner, Cliff Robinson, Pierre DeJace, Ronald Greenfield, Lisa Beck, Marvin Bittner, H. Ralph Schumacher, Fredric Silverblatt, James Schmitt, Edward Wong, Margaret A.K. Ryan, Javier Figueroa, Christopher Nice, John R. Feussner the VA Cooperative #475 Group Benefits and Harms of Doxycycline Treatment for Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Ann Intern Med 2004; 141: 85-94 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Gulf War-Possible Selenium or Selenoprotien Metabolism Deficiency

Steven L. Sparks   (5 August 2004)

Gulf War-Possible Selenium or Selenoprotien Metabolism Deficiency 5 August 2004
Steven L. Sparks, BBA Send rapid response to journal: Re: Gulf War-Possible Selenium or Selenoprotien Metabolism Deficiency TheSnackMn{at}aol.com Steven L. Sparks	For over 3 years I have been researching the long lasting side effects of statin drugs, which parallel those symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome. I have discussed these similiarities by Dr. Beatrice Golomb and others. I must disclose that I have no medical training. I have read and evaluated the medical records of over 1,400 previous statin users, along with reading some 15,000 medical journal articles in an attempt to help trace down the pathways. At one time I discussed the possibilities of Mycoplasmas with Dr. Golomb and Dr. Nicholson. Currently I hypothesize that a Selenium deficiency is leading to hyperphenylalaninemia as there is a lack of free ascorbate to recycle the BH3 radical back to BH4. The lack of selenium appears to cause the anti- oxident system to become oxidized due to the lack of glutathione peroxidase and other elements. Two previous statin users, off for 2-3 years, both tested Low for Oxidized Glutathione to Reduced Glutathione(GSSG/GSH) equal to 1.0. These two individuals along with two other similiar individuals also tested Low for Carnitine, possibly due to mitochondrial dysfunction and CPT-II deficiency. I feel the hyperphenylalinemia is causing low tyrosine, low norepinephrine, low epinephrine, low dopamine and low Beta2-Adrenoceptors. The statin victims suffer from chronic fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, bouts of occassional raised CPK-especially with exercise, short term memory loss, inability to sleep, hard muscles and cramps(intracellular calcium), arthritis like swelling in the joints, polyneuropathy, autoimmune disorders similiar to lupus, depression, sticky platelets and neurodegenerative diseases similiar to ALS. Those that seem to be most affected seem to have high triglycerides and many have hypothyroidism, both which could be signs of low selenium. Respectfully, Steve Sparks Conflict of Interest: None declared