The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein cross-reacts with eleven human proteins to cause autoimmune diseases

This article features a study that showed the possibility of autoimmune complications from COVID-19 vaccination.

I wrote an article about that research on January 24, 2021. One month after the COVID-19 vaccine release. At that time, there were no case reports in the medical journals of COVID-19 vaccine adverse events because it was still early in the rollout.

Right now, there are more than one million from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and many case reports and vaccine adverse events in medical journals.

I include the case reports of adverse events after the COVID-19 shots as links in this article to show that the theoretical possibility has become real.

Clinical Immunology published Potential antigenic cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and human tissue with a possible link to an increase in autoimmune diseases in May 2020.[1]

In the experiment, mouse monoclonal antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 were exposed to 50 different human tissue antigens. Eleven human tissue antigens in the investigation had the most significant reaction.

For this article, I only included the antibodies’ reactions to the spike proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 and not the nucleocapsid.

That’s because the COVID-19 vaccines Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson and Johnson produce antibodies only against spike proteins and not the whole SARS-CoV-2.

Human Antigens with the Greatest Reaction to SARS-CoV-2 Spike antibodies

The eleven antigens can be found in many organs all over the human body. Any immune response elicited during COVID-19 vaccination can react to human tissues containing those antigens and cause autoimmune disease.

That’s because there are similarities in the gene sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 in humans. A phenomenon called molecular mimicry.

The table below shows the intensity of the reaction between the antibodies to the SAR-CoV-2 antigen in red. The human antigens are in blue.

Source: Potential antigenic cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and human tissue with a possible link to an increase in autoimmune diseases. Clin Immun Aug 2020

Human proteins that cross-react with antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and resulting autoimmune diseases

Disease causation is multi-factorial. Just because there is an antibody against a human protein does not mean an autoimmune disease will result. The body has a way of preventing autoimmunity, and the overall health situation is a major factor.

I did not find any case reports on some of the diseases associated with the proteins.

Some preexisting autoimmune diseases may be controlled with medication or in spontaneous remission; however, any tilt in the immune system’s balance can exacerbate its symptoms.

Transglutaminase 3 (TG3)

There are nine transglutaminases in humans. Among them, transglutaminase 3 and 2 cross-react with SARS-CoV-2.

Transglutaminase is essential in creating barriers and stable structures like the skin, the lining of the intestinal tract, and blood vessels.

Reactions to TG3 may explain the case reports of skin rashes, prolonged diarrhea, and thrombosis that develop after the shots.

mRNA vaccination increases the risk of acute coronary syndrome

Transglutaminase 2 (TG2)

Human DNA is damaged by infections, environmental pollution, smoking, and alcohol. TG2 regulates the innate immune system and is essential for DNA repair.

Shingles are one example of a disruption of the innate immune system. There are now 14,350 cases of shingles post-COVID vaccination.

Diseases associated with disordered TG2

Progressive kidney disease – There are 1,113 patients with acute kidney injury after Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen in one case series.

Pulmonary fibrosis – 26 patients with pulmonary fibrosis had a worsening condition.

Systemic sclerosis affects the skin, blood vessels, muscles, heart, digestive system,
lungs, and kidneys – one patient with systemic sclerosis was reported in Japan to develop constrictive pericarditis after the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination.

Liver cirrhosis – no cirrhosis has been reported, but there are reports of autoimmune hepatitis. But chronic hepatitis can eventually lead to cirrhosis.

Celiac disease is a condition where the ingestion of gluten leads to intestinal damage. Gluten is present in wheat and barley.

Cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat, and digestive juices. These secretions become thick, sticky, and hard to expel in cystic fibrosis.

Cardiovascular diseases include atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, vascular calcification, cerebrovascular and peripheral arterial diseases, and rheumatic heart disease.

There are 15,914 cases of heart attacks after the COVID-19 shots in VAERS.

I talked about the different kinds of strokes after the COVID shots at Strokes Associated with COVID-19 vaccines.

Neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, supranuclear palsy, and Huntington’s disease take years to develop, which is why no association will probably be linked to COVID injections. Not because there is none, but the temporal relationship will be lost.

Disease with anti-Myelin Basic Protein

Myelin is the outer lining of nerves. Proper myelin structure is vital for nerve function. Antibodies to myelin remove or demyelinate the outer cover making the nerve useless.

That is what happens in multiple sclerosis and peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy presents as tingling and numbness of the hands and feet. I also discussed Neuropathic symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination.

Three cases of new-onset multiple sclerosis after the COVID shots are reported from the US, Germany, and Japan.

15,683 cases of Bell’s palsy have been reported in VAERS. Bell’s palsy is a disorder of the facial nerve that supplies the muscles of the face.

Guillain-Barre syndrome is an autoimmune disease against the myelin of the nerves. Guillain-Barre Syndrome After Covid-19 Vaccination

Disease with Antimitocondrial Antibody

The antimitochondrial antibodies are directed toward the liver cells and are detected in Primary Biliary Cholangitis, formerly known as Primary Biliary Cirrhosis.

One report of skin lupus on a patient with preexisting primary biliary cholangitis.

Diseases with Antinuclear antigen (ANA)

Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) have different subtypes, and Extractable nuclear antigens are one sub-type. The presence of antibodies to ENAs can be diagnostic for certain rheumatologic conditions.

Extractable Nucleic Acid Antigen (ENA)

ENAs are antigens from the nucleus of a cell. There are different antibodies to ENAs. A positive antibody to each ENA can confirm an autoimmune disease, as shown in the following:

Anti-Sm for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or SLE – one case of new-onset SLE in a 54-year-old male after the second dose of Pfizer COVID shot.
Anti-RNP for Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
Anti-La/anti-SS-B for Sjögren’s Syndrome
Anti-Ro/anti-SS-A for Sjögren’s Syndrome
Anti-Scl70 for scleroderma affects the skin, connective tissue, and internal organs. The skin becomes tight, and scars develop in the internal organs.
Anti-Jo for Dermatomyositis. Dermatomyositis presents as a skin rash and muscle weakness.

A case series of 402 subjects with autoimmune skin disease exacerbations following COVID-19 vaccination showed that fully vaccinated dermatomyositis patients were more likely to report worsening autoimmune signs and symptoms after the vaccine. And patients fully immunized with the Moderna vaccine trended towards an increased likelihood of reporting worsening autoimmune signs and symptoms.

Other Anti-nucleic acid subtypes

Anti-dsDNA is highly associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
Anti-histone antibodies are found in Drug-induced lupus, SLE, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, and undifferentiated connective tissue disease.
Anti-glycoprotein 210 and anti-nucleoporin 62 or anti-p62 are present in approximately 25–30% of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis.
2.5Anti-centromere antibodies are associated with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis, also known as CREST syndrome, primary biliary cirrhosis, and proximal scleroderma
Anti-sp100 is found in 20–30% of primary biliary cirrhosis
Anti-PM-Scl are found in up to 50% of polymyositis/systemic sclerosis (PM/SSc) overlap syndrome

A case series was made on 27 patients with immune-mediated disease flares after the COVID-19 vaccination. The disease conditions are polyarthritis of small joints, severe hemolysis, pustular skin lesions, myasthenia gravis, flares of synovitis of small joints, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, ankle synovitis, pericardial and pleural effusions and arthritis of the knee, shoulder, wrists, and hands.

A study on people with systemic autoimmune diseases shows lower neutralizing antibody levels and a higher percentage of non-responders. The reason is many of them are on glucocorticoids and immune suppressants.

Alpha-myosin autoantibodies

Alpha-myosin is present in the heart muscles. Antibodies to the α-myosin can induce myocarditis– an inflammation of the heart muscles- which can lead to heart failure and even death.

Myocarditis/Pericarditis is one of the most common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines, especially among younger males recognized by the CDC.

There are now 50,627 cases of myocarditis.

Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) autoantibodies

Thyroid peroxidase is an enzyme typically found in the thyroid gland. The presence of antibodies to TPO suggests an autoimmune disorder to the thyroid like Grave’s disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

France reported a worsening of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and two other cases of thyroiditis.

One report of a case of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis converting to Grave’s disease after the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine (2 doses of CoronaVac + 2 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech).

Grave’s disease was reported after COVID vaccination in Tunisia, Japan, US.

A case of Graves’ Disease Following vaccination with the Oxford-AstraZeneca SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine from Mexico.

Twelve developed hyperthyroidism in China. One case of worsening of Grave’s disease from Singapore.

Case series of three patients who developed/exacerbated autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) shortly after receiving mRNA-based vaccines against SARS-CoV2.

Anti-Collagen antibodies

Collagen is present all over the body. It provides a structure for the skin, joints, bones, blood vessels, and internal organs. Antibodies to collagen are found in several diseases like:

Ankylosing spondylitis
Emphysema
Gout – the risk of gout flare-up was higher after AstraZeneca vaccination in 5,904 patients.
Juvenile chronic arthritis – One case of reactivation of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Two flares of Still’s disease after two doses of the ChAdOx1 vaccine
Lepromatous leprosy
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Paget’s disease
Psoriatic arthritis 15 out of 51 patients had exacerbations of psoriatic arthritis from a Taiwan case series.
Relapsing polychondritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Scleroderma one report of diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis in a 70-year-old male with rapidly progressive skin thickening two weeks after receiving the first dose of the AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 COVID vaccine.
Systemic lupus erythematosus – one case of SLE (inflammatory arthritis, positive ANA, and positive dsDNA) in a 68-year-old two days after Pfizer shot.
Traumatic synovitis

Although this condition is not included above, Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA) in 16 Patients Following COVID-19 Vaccination can happen. SIRVA happens when the vaccine is accidentally injected into the shoulder joint.

One in six patients develops disease flares after the COVID shot.

Conditions associated with Claudin 5 Dysfunction

Claudin 5 is an essential part of the tight junction proteins that provide a protective barrier preventing unwanted and potentially damaging material to the brain from the blood vessels.

From the article, Claudin-5: the gatekeeper of neurological function.

Claudin 5 is the most enriched tight junction protein and its dysfunction has been implicated in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, neuroinflammatory disorders such as multiple sclerosis as well as psychiatric disorders including depression and schizophrenia.

Claudin 6

Claudin 6 is a relatively new protein discovery, and autoimmune diseases are not yet reported.

Diseases associated with S100 B abnormality

S100B is a protein essential for proper brain function and maintenance. Antibodies to S100 B have been elevated in depressive disorder, focal seizures, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease.

Parting thoughts

The case reports look few. But we should consider that those reports were done by physicians who associated the events with the COVID vaccinations and took the time to document the case on top of their busy schedules.

How many doctors deny any association between adverse events and COVID vaccination exists? How many more did not spend the time and extra effort to reveal the adverse events?

There are 29,635 deaths and 55,540 permanently disabled after the COVID-19 jabs in Open VAERS.

Truth heals. Lies kill. Don’t Get Sick!

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Image Credit: Structure of a SARS-CoV virion By SPQR10 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88349537

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