{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:16:07Z","timestamp":1787026567086,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,19]],"date-time":"2025-09-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758240000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Immunol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is a well-established trigger and risk factor for both myalgic encephalomyelitis\/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME\/CFS) and post-COVID syndrome (PCS). In previous studies, we identified elevated IgG responses to arginine-rich (poly-R) sequences within the EBV nuclear antigens EBNA4 and EBNA6 in post-infectious ME\/CFS (piME\/CFS). Building on these findings, this exploratory study examines IgG reactivity to poly-R-containing EBV-derived peptides and homologous human peptides in women with PCS and ME\/CFS.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>IgG reactivity to poly-R containing peptides derived from EBNA4 and EBNA6, and homologous human 15-mer peptides and the corresponding full-length proteins, was assessed using a cytometric bead array (CBA) and a multiplex dot-blot assay. Serum samples were analyzed from 45 female PCS patients diagnosed according to WHO criteria, including 26 who also met the Canadian Consensus criteria for ME\/CFS (pcME\/CFS), 36 female patients with non-COVID post-infectious ME\/CFS (piME\/CFS), and 34 female healthy controls (HC).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Autoantibodies targeting poly-R peptide sequences of the neuronal antigen SRRM3, the ion channel SLC24A3, TGF-\u03b2 signaling regulator TSPLY2, and the angiogenesis-related protein TSPYL5, as well as full-length \u03b1-adrenergic receptor (ADRA) proteins, were more frequently detected in patient groups. Several of these autoantibodies showed positive correlations with core symptoms, including autonomic dysfunction, fatigue, cognitive impairment, and pain.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This exploratory study identify autoantibodies directed against EBV mimicking arginine-rich sequences in human proteins, suggesting a potential role for molecular mimicry in the pathogenesis of PCS and ME\/CFS.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2025.1650948","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,19]],"date-time":"2025-09-19T04:14:52Z","timestamp":1758255292000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Exploratory study on autoantibodies to arginine-rich human peptides mimicking Epstein-Barr virus in women with post-COVID and myalgic 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