Peptide Sharing between Bordetella Pertussis Proteome and Human Sudden Death Proteins: A Hypothesis for a Causal Link

Abstract

Results suggest that a possible link between B. pertussis infection and sudden death might be represented by potential immunological cross-reactions occurring between B. pertussis proteins and human proteins associated to sudden death.

Influenza and sudden unexpected death: the possible role of peptide cross-reactivity

“…In addition, it deserves notice the fact that the present study is restricted to human cardiac titin, a protein essential for both mechanical and signaling functions of the heart [30][31][32][33][34]71]. De facto, the number of human proteins crucial for cardiac functions is highest [72,73] and warrants extensive further analyses. In this regard, the data offered in this study do no more than to indicate the vastity of the potential cross-reactivity network connecting influenza infection and cardiovascular diseases.…”

Lack of Molecular Mimicry between Nonhuman Primates and Infectious Pathogens: The Possible Genetic Bases

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Pathologically, cross-reactions between pathogen and human proteins might lead to thrombocytopenia, altered spermatogenesis, schizophrenia and neuropsychiatric diseases, neurodegeneration, lymphomas, sudden death, microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome, pneumonia, multiple sclerosis, immunodeficiency, developmental disorders, autoinflammatory disease, arthritis, hemochromatosis, myasthenia gravis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. 4,8,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] As a matter of fact, pathogen-derived immunoreactive epitopes are mostly composed of peptide sequences present in human proteins, 10,18,21,23,26 thus documenting that the immune system does not exert any negative selection of selfreactive lymphocytes. 27,28 Hence, it comes as a logical consequence that peptide sharing between infectious antigens and human proteins can cause cross-reactions in the human host, possibly leading to a multitude of postinfection autoimmune pathologies.…”