Myocarditis and spike protein

Circulating Spike Protein Detected in Post-COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine MyocarditisShow more

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36597886/

Background

Cases of adolescents and young adults developing myocarditis,

after vaccination with (SARS-CoV-2)-targeted mRNA vaccines,

reported globally,

underlying immunoprofiles of these individuals have not been described in detail.

Methods

January 2021 through February 2022

Prospectively collected blood,

from 16 patients, (12 to 21 years)

13 male

12 after 2nd dose

Onset 4 days post vaccination

hospitalized at Massachusetts General for Children,

or Boston Children's Hospital,

for myocarditis

Presentation

Chest pain

Elevated cardiac troponin T,

after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

We performed

Extensive antibody profiling,

including tests for SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral responses,

and assessment for autoantibodies,

or antibodies against the human-relevant virome,

SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell analysis,

and cytokine,

and SARS-CoV-2 antigen profiling.

Comparator group

45 healthy, asymptomatic, age-matched vaccinated control subjects.

Results, things that were the same

(Between the myocarditis group and non myocarditis group)

Antibody profiling IgG and IgM the same

T-cell responses the same

(were essentially indistinguishable)

Results, things that were different

(Between the myocarditis group and non myocarditis group)

In the myocarditis group

Modest increase in cytokine production

(reminiscent of the profile seen in MIS-C)

Total leukocytes, specifically neutrophils, significantly increased

Markedly elevated levels of full-length spike protein,

(33.9±22.4 pg/mL),

unbound by antibodies,

were detected in the plasma of individuals with postvaccine myocarditis,

No free spike was detected in asymptomatic vaccinated control subjects
(unpaired t test; P<0.0001).

Why spike protein persisted?

In postvaccine myocarditis,

the spike protein appears to evade antibody recognition,

because the anti-spike antibodies that are generated are produced in adequate quantities with normal functional and neutralization capacity.

UK

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/covid-19-vaccination/getting-a-1st-and-2nd-dose-of-the-covid-19-vaccine/