![[feed]](/style/images/feed-icon-14x14.png){kind=icon}
Tools
Tools
Preview |
PDF (Original Article)
- Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
6MB |
![[thumbnail of Supplementary Material]](https://edoc.mdc-berlin.de/style/images/fileicons/other.png) |
Other (Supplementary Material)
27MB |
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Exploratory study on autoantibodies to arginine-rich human peptides mimicking Epstein-Barr virus in women with post-COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome |
| Creators Name: | Hoheisel, Friederike, Fleischer, Kathrin Maria, Rubarth, Kerstin, Sepúlveda, Nuno, Bauer, Sandra, Konietschke, Frank, Kedor Peters, Claudia, Stein, Annika Elisa, Wittke, Kirsten, Seifert, Martina, Bellmann-Strobl, Judith, Mautner, Josef, Behrends, Uta, Scheibenbogen, Carmen and Sotzny, Franziska |
| Abstract: | INTRODUCTION: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is a well-established trigger and risk factor for both myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and post-COVID syndrome (PCS). In previous studies, we identified elevated IgG responses to arginine-rich (poly-R) sequences within the EBV nuclear antigens EBNA4 and EBNA6 in post-infectious ME/CFS (piME/CFS). Building on these findings, this exploratory study examines IgG reactivity to poly-R-containing EBV-derived peptides and homologous human peptides in women with PCS and ME/CFS. METHODS: IgG reactivity to poly-R containing peptides derived from EBNA4 and EBNA6, and homologous human 15-mer peptides and the corresponding full-length proteins, was assessed using a cytometric bead array (CBA) and a multiplex dot-blot assay. Serum samples were analyzed from 45 female PCS patients diagnosed according to WHO criteria, including 26 who also met the Canadian Consensus criteria for ME/CFS (pcME/CFS), 36 female patients with non-COVID post-infectious ME/CFS (piME/CFS), and 34 female healthy controls (HC). RESULTS: Autoantibodies targeting poly-R peptide sequences of the neuronal antigen SRRM3, the ion channel SLC24A3, TGF-β signaling regulator TSPLY2, and the angiogenesis-related protein TSPYL5, as well as full-length α-adrenergic receptor (ADRA) proteins, were more frequently detected in patient groups. Several of these autoantibodies showed positive correlations with core symptoms, including autonomic dysfunction, fatigue, cognitive impairment, and pain. CONCLUSION: This exploratory study identify autoantibodies directed against EBV mimicking arginine-rich sequences in human proteins, suggesting a potential role for molecular mimicry in the pathogenesis of PCS and ME/CFS. |
| Keywords: | Autoantibodies, Cross-Reactivity, EBV, Arginine-Rich Peptides, Post-COVID Syndrome, ME/CFS |
| Source: | Frontiers in Immunology |
| ISSN: | 1664-3224 |
| Publisher: | Frontiers Media SA |
| Volume: | 16 |
| Page Range: | 1650948 |
| Date: | 19 September 2025 |
| Official Publication: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1650948 |
| PubMed: | View item in PubMed |
Repository Staff Only: item control page
