Negative Association of Gulf War Illness Symptomatology with Predicted Binding Affinity of Anthrax Vaccine Antigen to Human Leukocyte (HLA) Class II Molecules.

Lisa M James, Apostolos P Georgopoulos

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Vaccines, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Lisa M JamesThe GWI and HLA Research Groups, Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA.

Apostolos P GeorgopoulosThe GWI and HLA Research Groups, Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA.

Funding

This study was supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Defense (grant W81XWH-17-1-0677), and the American Legion Brain Sciences Chair of the University of Minnesota Foundation. W81XWH-17-1-0677

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnthrax is a serious disease caused by

methodHere, we tested this hypothesis by determining the association between severity of GWI symptoms in 458 GW veterans and the overall strength of the binding affinity of the PA epitopes to the specific six Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Class II alleles carried by each individual (two of each of the HLA-II genes: DPB1, DQB1, DRB1), responsible for initiating the process of antibody production in otherwise immunocompetent individuals, estimated in silico.

resultsWe found that the severity of GWI symptomatology was negatively and significantly correlated with the strength of the predicted binding affinity of PA peptides to HLA-II molecules (r=-0.356, p<0.001); the stronger the overall binding affinity, the weaker the symptoms. Since the binding of a peptide to an HLA-II molecule is the first and necessary step in initiating the production of antibodies, the findings above support our hypothesis that the severity of GWI symptomatology is partly due to a lack of HLA-II protection.

conclusionsReduced HLA protection against the toxic anthrax vaccine may underlie GWI.

Indexed as

anthrax vaccinationGulf War IllnessHuman Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)

Identifiers

PMID39852867

DOI10.3390/vaccines13010088

PMCPMC11768865

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