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Enterovirus VP1 protein contains an allergen that causes autoimmunity?

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
I came across what might be a very significant blog article by Dr Art Ayers about enteroviruses and autoimmunity, in which Ayers states he has detected an amino acid sequence in the VP1 protein of enteroviruses that he also found in all allergens (such as peanut, ragweed, dust mite, bee venom) as well as in the autoantigens of autoimmune diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis.

Persistent enterovirus infection is, of course, strongly linked to ME/CFS, and Dr John Chia found this enterovirus VP1 protein present in ME/CFS patients much more than in health controls (refs: 1 2).

So this begs the question: could this possible allergen/autoantigen in enterovirus VP1 protein be the instigating factor for an possible autoimmune state in ME/CFS?

The rituximab research is providing evidence that autoimmunity may play a role in ME/CFS. So might Ayers's noting of possible allergen/autoantigen in the enterovirus VP1 protein explain how an autoimmunity in ME/CFS actually arises in the first place?

I don't know enough about the complexities of allergens/autoantigens to comment further, but this finding seems interesting.
 
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ukxmrv

Senior Member
Messages
4,413
Location
London
Very interesting Hip. The first test for the VP1 protein I came across was through Prof Mowbray at St Mary's in London. He carried out tests on ME patients in the late 80's I think. I remember having the test (It was a blood test then) and ME Association canvassed members to see what the results were.
There was a large body of work and thought about entroviri in the UK then.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
Very interesting Hip. The first test for the VP1 protein I came across was through Prof Mowbray at St Mary's in London. He carried out tests on ME patients in the late 80's I think. I remember having the test (It was a blood test then) and ME Association canvassed members to see what the results were.
There was a large body of work and thought about entroviri in the UK then.

Yes, Dr Chia has been handed the baton, so to speak, of enterovirus ME/CFS research — research which was originally pioneered by Prof James Mowbray and Dr John Richardson. Richardson had over 50 years of clinical experience of enterovirus-triggered ME/CFS, I understand.
 

Enid

Senior Member
Messages
3,309
Location
UK
I do agree and am sure this line of research is one our best for ME. Thanks for posting Hip.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
Actually, I am going to post the above-mentioned blog article by Dr Art Ayres here, for ease of reference:

Enteroviruses, Autoimmunity, Diabetes

Insulin-producing cells of the pancreases of diabetics have been found to harbor viruses common to the gut. Antibodies to the virus coat proteins also bind to pancreas proteins.

A recent paper, referenced below, shows that in a collection of samples from the pancreases of individuals that had been diagnosed with type I diabetes less than one year prior to the sampling, insulin producing cells are also infected with enterovirus. The same association between enterovirus infection was found to a lesser extent in type II diabetics, but not in non-diabetic controls.

Enteroviruses have been repeated associated with diabetes over the last decade and antigenic determinants of the enterovirus protein coat also bind, i.e. cross react, with antigenic determinants of human cellular proteins.

I examined the enterovirus coat protein, VP1, and found the same three amino acid sequence (three basic amino acids, lysine [K] or arginine [R], highlighted) that I also found in all allergens (peanut, ragweed, dust mite, bee venom) and autoantigens of autoimmune diseases (lupus, MS), and is associated with heparan sulfate-based internalization and presentation of protein immunogens. This observation is consistent with my hypothesis that inflammation plus the presence of one of these proteins, results in production of B and T lymphocytes specific for antigenic determinants on the surface of the immunogen protein. Note that the antigenic determinants usually do not include the three basic amino acid sequence, e.g. RRK, that is involved in uptake and presentation of the protein.

VP1 [Human enterovirus B]
HVINYHTRSESSVENFMGRAACVYIAQYATEKVNDELDR
YTNWEITTRQVAQLRRKLEMFTYMRFDLEVTFVITSSQR
TSTTYASDSPPLTHQVM

Reference:
Richardson SJ, Willcox A, Bone AJ, Foulis AK, Morgan NG. 2009. The prevalence of enteroviral capsid protein vp1 immunostaining in pancreatic islets in human type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia. Mar 6. [Epub ahead of print]

Source: http://coolinginflammation.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/enteroviruses-autoimmunity-diabetes.html



EDIT: Prof Edwards was not that enamored with this theory though (see this post).
 
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Emootje

Senior Member
Messages
356
Location
The Netherlands
Enteroviruses are also connected to rheumatic heart disease:

"Changes in heart valves of mice or monkeys following experimental enterovirus infection closely resemble human chronic rheumatic heart disease and viral antigens or particles were found in these pathological valves...In conclusion, this study is the first demonstration of enterovirus replication in valvular tissue from chronic rheumatic heart disease and provides new evidence to support an aetiological role of these viruses in some case"
Enterovirus replication in valvular tissue from patients with chronic rheumatic heart disease.

Probably the cause of my heart valve abnormality...