{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T12:21:56Z","timestamp":1782994916494,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,31]],"date-time":"2023-01-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1675123200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100006769","name":"Russian Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["22-15-00113"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["22-15-00113"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100006769","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In order to identify corresponding amino acid sequences (pentapeptides) between the SPs, MPs and NPs of human coronaviruses and human autoantigens targeted in autoimmune endocrinopathies, and for a comparative analysis of the various coronaviruses proteome and the proteome of human, the original computer program was used. Quantitatively, SP, MP and NP of the human coronaviruses were found to share totally 117 minimal immune pentapeptide epitopes: 79 in SP, 14 in MP and 24 in NP, \u2013 with 18 autoantigens expressed by human endocrinocytes. The shared pentapeptides belong to the proteins of human endocrine cells. Samples of the pituitary, adrenal and thyroid from patients who died from coronavirus infection (COVID-19) were studied morphologically using histochemical methods. A high incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection of endocrine cells was showed. The high affinity of SARS-CoV-2 the cells of the adenohypophysis was revealed, but there was no expression of viral proteins by the cells of the neurohypophysis. The foci of lesions in endocrine organs contained abundant lymphocytic infiltrates which may indicate the impact of autoimmune processes. Autoimmune disorders have a multi-faceted etiology and depend on polygenic predispose and additive action of many epigenetic and environmental factors causing hyperstimulation of imperfectly functioning immune system. It means that the phenomenon of molecular mimicry cannot be blamed as their single prerequisite, but it is just a tile in mosaic of autoimmunity. The facts revealed emphasize the need of endocrinological diagnostic alertness of a physician while observing patients with post-vaccination and post-COVID-19 health disorders.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics13030522","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,1]],"date-time":"2023-02-01T04:27:02Z","timestamp":1675225622000},"page":"522","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Post-COVID Endocrine Disorders: Putative Role of Molecular Mimicry and Some Pathomorphological Correlates"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1307-0513","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Muslimbek Ghulomovich","family":"Normatov","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Laboratory of the Mosaic of Autoimmunity and Department of Pathology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vadim Evgenievich","family":"Karev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases, 197022 Saint Petersburg, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrey Victorovich","family":"Kolobov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Laboratory of the Mosaic of Autoimmunity and Department of Pathology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vera Arkad\u2019yevna","family":"Mayevskaya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Department of English, Saint Petersburg State University of Economics (UNECON), 191023 Saint Petersburg, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6973-9901","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Varvara Aleksandrovna","family":"Ryabkova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Laboratory of the Mosaic of Autoimmunity and Department of Pathology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia"},{"name":"The Research Institute of Rheumatology and Allergology, First Pavlov State Medical University of Saint Petersburg, 197022 Saint Petersburg, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9690-0043","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vladimir Josefovich","family":"Utekhin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Laboratory of the Mosaic of Autoimmunity and Department of Pathology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia"},{"name":"The Department of Pathophysiology with the Course of Immunopathology, Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, 194100 Saint Petersburg, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6359-0026","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonid Pavlovich","family":"Churilov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Laboratory of the Mosaic of Autoimmunity and Department of Pathology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia"},{"name":"The St. Petersburg Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology, 194064 Saint Petersburg, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Chippa, V., Aleem, A., and Anjum, F. 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