Summary
| Direction in Gulf War Illness | ↕ Inconsistent — reported as both higher and lower across studies, with no consistent direction |
|---|---|
| Category | Exposure |
| Also described as | Toxic exposure biomarker |
| Compared against | HGV (healthy Gulf War veteran controls) |
| Associated symptoms | Exposure subset — research |
| Test type | Tissue / pathology test |
| Source | Gean et al. 2021 — doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119456 |
| Condition atlas | Gulf War Illness Biomarker Atlas |
Trials, interventions and tests
In clinical-trial registrations this marker maps to the outcome term 24 Hour Urinary Sodium Excretion During Treatment Normalized to Creatinine (6 registered trials use a matching outcome measure).
Clinical trials using Depleted uranium (urinary) as an outcome
- NCT05877508: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibodies for Long COVID (COVID-19) (Active Not Recruiting)
Outcome measure: Composite Autonomic Symptom Score-31 (COMPASS-31) - NCT05836402: Long COVID-19 Syndrome Lifestyle Intervention Study (Completed)
Outcome measure: Improvement of long-COVID syndrome signs: urinary tract review of systems - NCT05467904: Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of a Proprietary Full Hemp Flower Formulation for Long COVID (Withdrawn)
Outcome measure: Total Symptom Score (TSS) - NCT04632134: Long-term Effects of Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation on Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) (Unknown)
Outcome measure: Change of Autonomic symptoms - NCT01563107: Dietary Sodium's Effect on Urinary Sodium and Dopamine Excretion in Patients With Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (Completed)
Outcome measure: 24hr Urinary Sodium - NCT00685919: Peripheral Dopamine in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (Completed)
Outcome measure: 24 Hour Urinary Sodium Excretion During Treatment Normalized to Creatinine
Interventions studied alongside this marker
Hypothesis-generating links from trial outcome usage and literature co-occurrence. Not treatment recommendations.
- Low Carbohydrate Diet Intervention — 1 trial, 1 PubMed co-citations
e.g. [The effects of a very low carbohydrate diet intervention on improving cardiovascular risk factors in obese…
Related Exposure markers in Gulf War Illness
- DNA adducts (pesticide-related) ↑
- Sarin/cyclosarin exposure markers ↕
- Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) ↕
- Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) ↕
- PON1 Q192R polymorphism ↕
- PON1 (paraoxonase 1) activity ↓
Full list: Gulf War Illness Biomarker Atlas.
Frequently asked questions
Is Depleted uranium (urinary) high or low in Gulf War Illness?
Mixed. Some studies report higher and others lower Depleted uranium (urinary) in Gulf War Illness compared with healthy Gulf War veteran controls, so no single direction is established. Source: Gean et al. 2021.
What symptoms is Depleted uranium (urinary) associated with in Gulf War Illness?
The cited literature associates this marker with Exposure subset — research. These are population-level associations and do not mean the marker causes the symptoms.
Which test measures Depleted uranium (urinary)?
It is measured as a tissue / pathology test. Many of the cited studies used research-grade assays, so clinical availability may vary.
Is one abnormal Depleted uranium (urinary) result diagnostic of Gulf War Illness?
No. No single biomarker is diagnostic of Gulf War Illness. Depleted uranium (urinary) findings come from group comparisons, overlap considerably between patients and controls, and vary with study design, timing and comparison group. A result should be interpreted by a clinician alongside symptoms, history and other tests.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-29 · Page generated from gulf-war-illness.json · Browse: Gulf War Illness atlas · Biomarker Index · All marker pages
Disclaimer: This page is an educational synthesis of published, peer-reviewed research and is not medical advice. Biomarker findings vary across studies with case definitions, comparison groups, timing and assay methods. Direction of change reflects the predominant finding in the cited source and does not establish a diagnostic threshold. Discuss any test result with a qualified clinician.