By the way, we have also looked at samples from patients with Gulf War
Syndrome. Using an ELISA to detect a serologic response to multiple
strains of Mycoplasma fermentans, including incognitus strain, we were
unable to detect any antibody response. In addition, we were unable to
detect any mycoplasmas (eg. fermentans, pneumoniae) in serum samples from
these patients using primers specific from rRNA sequences and demonstrated
specific for the species. However, this is from a limited number of
patients, and additional samples and more patients need to be examined to
determine what the incidence of patients with this syndrome have systemic
infection or prior exposure to the organisms. Perhaps only subpopulations
of the GWS patients have these infections, or there is some other factors,
currently unidentified, which contribute to any disease manisfestation in
these patients.
Jerry W. Simecka
Department of Microbiology
University of Alabama at Birmingham