Xenosialylation: Role in SARS/CoV-2 Post-infectious and Post-vaccination Complications and Common Cause of Hyperimmune/Autoimmune Diseases (preprint)

ABSTRACT

The host glycosylation mechanism synthesizes the carbohydrates of glycoproteins of viral envelopes. Due to the loss of the Cytidine Monophospho-N-Acetylneuraminic Acid Hydroxylase gene by some mammalian species, including humans (negative-CMAH), Neu5Gc is no longer synthesized. Uptake of Neu5Gc by negative-CMAH species, through the intake of food products derived from positive-CMAH mammals, leads to incorporating Neu5Gc-glycans in the glycocalyx (xenosialylation). Neu5Gc, being a Mammalian-associated Carbohydrate Antigen (MCA), acts as a non-self-antigen, inducing an inflammatory reaction (Xenosialitis), and triggering the production of circulating antiNeu5Gc antibodies to attack/remove all incorporated Neu5Gc. In the state of Xenosialitis, the virus-neutralizing antibodies produced by a heavily xenosialylated patient following exposure to viral infection (including SarsCoV2) or anti SarsCoV2 vaccination cross-react against all incorporated non-self Neu5Gc-MCA glycans due to their resemblance with viral envelope antigens synthesized by the host glycosylation mechanism. In addition, the circulating anti-XeSias antibodies determine the massive removal of the circulating neutralizing FC-xeno-contaminated antibodies by the serum, living only the hyper-inflammatory agalattosylated antiviral IgG antibodies. Therefore, we hypothesize that the combination of antibody cross-reaction against non-self Neu5Gc-MCA glycans and the massive removal of the xeno-contaminated newly formed neutralizing antibodies in favor of hyper reactive antibodies, could be the cause of the massive inflammatory reaction (cytokine storm, coagulopathies, neuropathies) observed in Covid 19 patients or after anti-SarsCoV2 vaccination. This analysis is an invitation to investigate the post-infectious and/or post-vaccination adverse phenomena in the light of xenosialization as a key to understanding the severe post viral and post vaccine complications, including SARS-CoV2 infection or related vaccination.