A bioinformatic analysis: Previous allergen exposure may support anti- SARS-CoV-2 immune response

• Published in: Computational biology and chemistry Vol. 107; p. 107961
• Main Authors: Karagöz, Isıl Kutluturk, Kaya, Mucahit, Rückert, René, Bozman, Nazli, Kaya, Vildan, Bayram, Halim, Yıldırım, Mustafa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2023
• Subjects: Bioinformatic; Covid-19; Epitope similarity, allergens; MHC epitopes; S- protein; Bioinformatic; Epitope similarity, allergens; Covid-19; S- protein; MHC epitopes
• ISSN: 1476-9271; 1476-928X; 1476-928X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2023.107961

COVID-19, caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 has become a global health problem due to significant mortality rates; the exact pathophysiological mechanism remains uncertain. Articles reporting patient data are quite heterogeneous and have several limitations. Surviving patients develop a CD4 and CD8 T-cell response to the virus SARS-CoV-2 during COVID-19. Interestingly, pre-existing virus-reactive T-cells have been found in patients that were not infected before, suggesting some form of cross-reactivity or immunological mimicry. To better understand this phenomenon, we performed a bioinformatic study, which was aimed to identify antigenic structures that may explain the presence of such “reactive” T-cells, which may support or modulate the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infections. Seven different common environmental allergen epitopes identical to the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein were identified that share affinity to 8 MHCI-specific epitope regions. Pollen showed the greatest similarity with the S protein epitope. In the epitope similarity analysis between the S protein and MHC-II / T helper epitopes, the highest similarity was determined for mites. When S-protein that stimulates B cells and identical epitope antigens are examined, the most common allergens were hornbeam and wheat. The high epitope similarity observed for the allergens examined and S protein epitopes suggest that these allergens may be a reason for pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 – reactive T-cells in previously non-infected subjects and such a previous exposure may affect the course of the disease in COVID-19 infection. It remains to be determined whether such a previous existence of SARS-CoV-2 reactive cells can support the clearance of the virus or if they, in contrast, may even aggravate the disease course. (Table 4, Ref 54) [Display omitted] •Significant portions of subjects with NO previous contact to SARS-CoV19 present with virus-specific T-cells. The origin of such T-cell specificity is unknown so far.•This research study evaluated potential immune molecular mimicry between the epitopes on the SARS-CoV19 S protein and naturally occurring allergens•Bioinformatics was used to identify sequence similarities for potential immune response against the SARS-CoV19•Significant protein sequence similarities between SARS-CoV19 S-protein and naturally occurring allergens were found•Environmental allergens with epitope similarity to the SARS-CoV19 S-protein may contribute to the immune response and may explain T-cell reactivity to SARS-CoV19 even in the absence of previous virus encounter.