Negative Association of Gulf War Illness Symptomatology with Predicted Binding Affinity of Anthrax Vaccine Antigen to Human Leukocyte (HLA) Class II Molecules.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Anthrax is a serious disease caused by Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) with a very high mortality when the spores of B. anthracis are inhaled (inhalational anthrax). Aerosolized B. anthracis spores can be used as a deadly bioweapon. Vaccination against anthrax is the only effective preventive measure and, hence, the anthrax vaccine was administered to United States (and other) troops during the 1990-91 Gulf War. However, the anthrax vaccine is not harmless, and the anthrax vaccination has been linked to the occurrence and severity of Gulf War Illness (GWI), a debilitating Chronic Multisymptom Illness (CMI). We hypothesized that this is partly due to the combination of two factors, namely (a) the cytotoxicity of the antigen (anthrax Protectiv

SUBMITTER: James LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11768865 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature