Evidence of the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in healthcare workers after mRNA based anti-SARS CoV-2 vaccines

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Evidence from clinical trials strongly supports the safety and efficacy of the different COVID-19 vaccines. Indeed, the risk to develop a severe form of the disease, possibly leading to death, it is highly decreased in fully vaccinated individuals. Nowadays, vaccines effects and their possible ability to stimulate an autoimmune reaction are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to check the development and /or persistence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in healthcare workers (HCPs) after mRNA based anti-SARS CoV-2 vaccines. Method(s) In this study, 77 HCPs were considered (60 females and 17 males, age range 26-67 years, median age 48) without any history of COVID-19 infection. All the subjects were vaccinated with 2 doses of BioNtech/Pfizer BNT162b2 mRNA. Furthermore, half of them received a third dose of the same vaccine, whereas the other half of Moderna (Spikevax). Blood Samples were collected before the inoculation of the vaccine (T0), at 3 (T1) and 12 months (T2) after the first dose. Therefore, at T1 all the subjects received two doses of vaccine and at T2 three doses. ANA presence was evaluated using indirect immunofluorescence on Hep-2 cells (EUROIMMUN test kit) at dilutions 180, 1160, 1320, 1640. Fisher and Wilcoxon statistical tests were performed using GraphPad Prism 9 Software. Result(s) Among 77 subjects enrolled, at T0 25 were positive for ANA (23 maintained this positivity also at T1 and T2) and 52 were negative. At T1, 46/52 remained negative, whereas 6/52 became ANA positive (5 maintained this positivity also at T2). At T2, 30/46 were still negative, instead 16/46 became ANA positive. In addition, from T1 to T2, it has been observed a statistically significant increase of ANA presence. Conclusion(s) Our results suggest that mRNA based anti-SARS CoV-2 vaccines seem to induce the onset of de novo ANA in 22/77 (28,57%) of subjects and that the percentage of positivity seems to directly correlate to the number of vaccine expositions 6/77 (7,79%) after 2 doses;and 16/77 (20,78%) after 3 doses.