title: Pulmonary health effects in Gulf War I service members exposed to depleted uranium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In a population of Gulf War I veterans who sustained inhalational exposure to depleted uranium during friendly fire incidents in 1991, we evaluated whether those with high body burdens of uranium were more likely to have pulmonary health abnormalities than those with low body burdens.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared self-reported respiratory symptoms, mean pulmonary function values, and prevalence of low-dose chest computed tomography abnormalities between high and low urine uranium groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no significant differences in respiratory symptoms, abnormal pulmonary function values, or prevalence of chest computed tomography abnormalities between high and low urine uranium groups. Overall, the cohort's pulmonary function values fell within the expected clinical range.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support previous estimates that the depleted uranium levels inhaled during the 1991 friendly fire incidents likely do not cause long-term adverse pulmonary health effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA. shines@medicine.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Stella E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hines
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gucer
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kligerman
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Breyer
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Centeno
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gaitens
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Engelhardt
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Squibb
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McDiarmid
mesh_terms: D047830:Gulf War; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014481:United States; D014501:Uranium / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017974:Uranium Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D017974:Uranium Compounds; D014501:Uranium; C047385:uranium oxide