Gene expression patterns in peripheral blood leukocytes in patients with recurrent ciguatera fish poisoning: Preliminary studies

• PBL gene expression profiles of ciguatera patients differ from Florida controls.
• Strongest linkages with platelet aggregation and chemokine expression genes.
• Confirmation will require larger sample size and more closely matched controls.

Ciguatera fish poisoning (ciguatera) is a common clinical syndrome in areas where there is dependence on tropical reef fish for food. A subset of patients develops recurrent and, in some instances, chronic symptoms, which may result in substantial disability. To identify possible biomarkers for recurrent/chronic disease, and to explore correlations with immune gene expression, peripheral blood leukocyte gene expression in 10 ciguatera patients (7 recurrent and 3 acute) from the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 5 unexposed Florida controls were evaluated. Significant differences in gene expression were noted when comparing ciguatera patients and controls; however, it was not possible to differentiate between patients with acute and recurrent disease, possibly due to the small sample sizes involved.