Heart problems after mRNA vaccination and after COVID-19 likely have similar cause

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-10-20 05:00

International

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The mechanisms behind myocarditis or other rare heart problems following mRNA vaccination and similar heart problems following a COVID-19 infection may be the same, according to international researchers. The team investigated the cases of seven patients post-COVID-19 and six patients post-vaccination who were treated for heart problems. The researchers say they found nearly identical changes in gene expression, changes that could lead to inflammation, clotting issues and other heart dysfunction. The researcher say this supports the idea that these heart problems are caused by the way the COVID-19 spike protein binds to specific enzymes in the body's cells, a process that happens similarly with mRNA vaccination. Understanding how these heart conditions are caused could help prevent and treat them, the researchers add.

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conference: JACC: Basic to Translational Science

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Colorado, USA

Funder: This work was supported by American Heart Association COVID-19 Rapid Response Award 811960, “Myocardial Virus and Gene Expression in SARS CoV-2 Positive Patients With Clinically Important Myocardial Dysfunction,” Michael R. Bristow, Principal Investigator. On May 12, 2021 the institutional review board–approved protocol was expanded by an amendment to investigate patients with vaccineassociated myocarditis. This work was also supported by National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Subcontract 3 UM1 AI068614-14S1 Subaward no. 0001089814, “Myocardial Injury and Dysfunction Associated With COVID-19 Vaccination (MIDAVAX; NCT05359250),” Lawrence Corey, MD, Principal Investigator, Michael R. Bristow, Sub–Principal Investigator. Dr Bristow is an officer and shareholder and Dr Carroll and Ms Huebler are employees of ARCA Biopharma, a precision therapeutics biotechnology company developing pharmacogenetic heart failure drugs, as well as a drug for COVID-19–associated coagulopathy. The other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

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