Mechanisms of Mitochondrial Defects in Gulf War Syndrome

Exclusion Criteria

• •Organ failure (e.g. emphysema, cirrhosis, cardiac failure, chronic renal failure)
• •Chronic infections (e.g. HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B or C)
• •Rheumatic and chronic inflammatory diseases (e.g. systemic lupus erythematosis, Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic pancreatitis.)
• •Major neurologic diseases (e.g. multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular diseases, epilepsy or other disease requiring ongoing medication that could cause fatigue, stroke, head injury with residual neurologic deficits)
• •Diseases requiring systemic treatment (e.g. organ or bone marrow transplantation; systemic chemotherapy; radiation of brain, thorax, abdomen, or pelvis)
• •Major endocrine diseases (e.g. hypopituitarism, adrenal insufficiency)
• •Myocardial infarction, heart failure
• •Morbid obesity (body mass index \>40)
• •Permanent psychiatric exclusions: Lifetime diagnoses of bipolar affective disorders, schizophrenia or any subtype, delusional disorders of any subtype, dementias of any subtype, organic brain disorders, and alcohol or substance abuse within 2 years before onset of the fatiguing illness.
• •History of allergic reaction to lidocaine
• •History of keloid formation with skin incisions.