biostudies-literatureBalz KPhilipps-Universität MarburgNIAID NIH HHSNIH HHS4792https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7910599biostudies-literatureUnknown11(1)The outbreak of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a public health emergency. Asthma does not represent a risk factor for COVID-19 in several published cohorts. We hypothesized that the SARS-CoV-2 proteome contains T cell epitopes, which are potentially cross-reactive to allergen epitopes. We aimed at identifying homologous peptide sequences by means of two distinct complementary bioinformatics approaches. Pipeline 1 included prediction of MHC Class I and Class II epitopes contained in the SARS-CoV-2 proteome and allergens along with alignment and elaborate ranking approaches. Pipeline 2 involved alignment of SARS-CoV-2 overlapping peptides with known allergen-derived T cell epitopes. Our results indicate a large number of MHC Class I epitope pairs inclScientific reportsHomologies between SARS-CoV-2 and allergen proteins may direct T cell-mediated heterologous immune responses.PMC7910599R01 AI140134U01 AI140498R01AI140134-01U01AI140498-03Balz KSkevaki CChen MCemic FRenz HKaushik AHeger VNadeau KfalseHomologies between SARS-CoV-2 and allergen proteins may direct T cell-mediated heterologous immune responses.The outbreak of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a public health emergency. Asthma does not represent a risk factor for COVID-19 in several published cohorts. We hypothesized that the SARS-CoV-2 proteome contains T cell epitopes, which are potentially cross-reactive to allergen epitopes. We aimed at identifying homologous peptide sequences by means of two distinct complementary bioinformatics approaches. Pipeline 1 included prediction of MHC Class I and Class II epitopes contained in the SARS-CoV-2 proteome and allergens along with alignment and elaborate ranking approaches. Pipeline 2 involved alignment of SARS-CoV-2 overlapping peptides with known allergen-derived T cell epitopes. Our results indicate a large number of MHC Class I epitope pairs incl2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 Feb2026-07-16T01:25:56.532Z2021-03-05T09:12:44ZS-EPMC79105993363782310.1038/s41598-021-84320-8