Darja Kanduc1, Yehuda Shoenfeld2,3. 1. Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies, and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, Bari, Italy, dkanduc@gmail.com. 2. Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Affiliated to Tel-Aviv, University School of Medicine, Ramat Gan, Israel. 3. I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian, Federation, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To define the cross-reactivity potential and the consequent autoimmunity intrinsic to viral versus human peptide sharing. METHODS: Using human papillomavirus (HPV) infection/active immunization as a research model, the experimentally validated HPV L1 epitopes catalogued at the Immune Epitope DataBase were analyzed for peptide sharing with the human proteome. RESULTS: The final data show that the totality of the immunoreactive HPV L1 epi-topes is mostly composed by peptides present in human proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Immunologically, the high extent of peptide sharing between the HPV L1 epitopes and human proteins invites to revise the concept of the negative selection of self-reactive lymphocytes. Pathologically, the data highlight a cross-reactive potential for a spectrum of autoimmune diseases that includes ovarian failure, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), breast cancer and sudden death, among others. Therapeutically, analyzing already validated immunoreactive epitopes filters out the peptide sharing possibly exempt of self-reactivity, defines the effective potential for pathologic autoimmunity, and allows singling out peptide epitopes for safe immunotherapeutic protocols.
OBJECTIVE: To define the cross-reactivity potential and the consequent autoimmunity intrinsic to viral versus human peptide sharing. METHODS: Using humanpapillomavirus (HPV) infection/active immunization as a research model, the experimentally validated HPV L1 epitopes catalogued at the Immune Epitope DataBase were analyzed for peptide sharing with the human proteome. RESULTS: The final data show that the totality of the immunoreactive HPV L1 epi-topes is mostly composed by peptides present in human proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Immunologically, the high extent of peptide sharing between the HPV L1 epitopes and human proteins invites to revise the concept of the negative selection of self-reactive lymphocytes. Pathologically, the data highlight a cross-reactive potential for a spectrum of autoimmune diseases that includes ovarian failure, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), breast cancer and sudden death, among others. Therapeutically, analyzing already validated immunoreactive epitopes filters out the peptide sharing possibly exempt of self-reactivity, defines the effective potential for pathologic autoimmunity, and allows singling out peptide epitopes for safe immunotherapeutic protocols.