Possible Link Between COVID-19 Vaccination and Autoimmune Disorders: Investigation by NCKU Researchers
成大研發處
發布於2022/08/01
Possible Link Between COVID-19 Vaccination and Autoimmune Disorders: Investigation by NCKU Researchers
When the body’s immune system turns on itself and attacks the body’s healthy cells and organs, we develop autoimmune disorders. A rare entrant in the list of autoimmune disorders is acquired hemophilia A (AHA) in which spontaneous bleeding occurs in patients with no previous history of the condition. Although AHA is often associated with significant mortality, owing to its rarity, there is very little data on the underlying physiological processes.
Are other diseases that involve considerable immune suppression, for instance viral infections, associated with AHA? A group of researchers led by Dr. Ya Ting Hsu and Dr. Peng Chan Lin of the NCKU Hospital, Taiwan, have recently reported a case that points towards such a possibility.
Besides reporting their case, the researchers studied existing literature and identified six other vaccine-related cases of AHA reported since 2021. They found that all six patients were administered with either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and that treatment took less time in all cases than in non-vaccine associated AHA. Apart from the six COVID-19 vaccination-related cases, two more AHA cases following influenza vaccination, which uses a different antigen, were also reported. The researchers suggest that if more autoimmune diseases following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine administration are reported, further investigation into their pathogenesis can be made, which can then help identify the potential at-risk groups.
These findings point to a possible association between SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines and autoimmune diseases like AHA. Further studies are needed to conclusively prove a causal link between the two. Through timely reporting of such cases, the short-term and long-term side effects of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 can be better understood and patient management improved for better outcomes. Reference
Title of original paper
Journal
A case of acquired hemophilia A and bullous pemphigoid following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination
