Anti–platelet factor 4 antibodies causing VITT do not cross-react with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Author:

Greinacher Andreas1ORCID,Selleng Kathleen1,Mayerle Julia2ORCID,Palankar Raghavendra1ORCID,Wesche Jan1ORCID,Reiche Sven3,Aebischer Andrea3,Warkentin Theodore E.4ORCID,Muenchhoff Maximilian5ORCID,Hellmuth Johannes C.6ORCID,Keppler Oliver T.5,Duerschmied Daniel7ORCID,Lother Achim78ORCID,Rieg Siegbert9ORCID,Gawaz Meinrad Paul10,Mueller Karin Anne Lydia10,Scheer Christian S.11ORCID,Napp Matthias11,Hahnenkamp Klaus11,Lucchese Guglielmo12,Vogelgesang Antje12,Flöel Agnes12,Lovreglio Piero13,Stufano Angela13,Marschalek Rolf14ORCID,Thiele Thomas1,

Affiliation:

1. Institute of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany;

2. Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Munich, and German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF) (partner site Munich), Munich, Germany;

3. Department of Experimental Animal Facilities and Biorisk Management, Friedrich-Loeffler Institut, Greifswald, Germany;

4. Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, and Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada;

5. Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Virology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, and DZIF, Munich, Germany;

6. Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany;

7. Heart Center Freiburg University, Cardiology and Angiology I and Medical Intensive Care, Medical Center,

8. Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, and

9. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine II, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany;

10. Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany;

11. Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, and

12. Department of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany;

13. Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy; and

14. Institute of Pharmacology Biology, Biocenter, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Abstract

Abstract Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a severe adverse effect of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 COVID-19 vaccine (Vaxzevria) and Janssen Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccine, and it is associated with unusual thrombosis. VITT is caused by anti-platelet factor 4 (PF4) antibodies activating platelets through their FcγRIIa receptors. Antibodies that activate platelets through FcγRIIa receptors have also been identified in patients with COVID-19. These findings raise concern that vaccination-induced antibodies against anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein cause thrombosis by cross-reacting with PF4. Immunogenic epitopes of PF4 and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were compared using in silico prediction tools and 3D modeling. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and PF4 share at least 1 similar epitope. Reactivity of purified anti-PF4 antibodies from patients with VITT was tested against recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. However, none of the affinity-purified anti-PF4 antibodies from 14 patients with VITT cross-reacted with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Sera from 222 polymerase chain reaction–confirmed patients with COVID-19 from 5 European centers were tested by PF4-heparin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and PF4-dependent platelet activation assays. We found anti-PF4 antibodies in sera from 19 (8.6%) of 222 patients with COVID-19. However, only 4 showed weak to moderate platelet activation in the presence of PF4, and none of those patients developed thrombotic complications. Among 10 (4.5%) of 222 patients who had COVID-19 with thrombosis, none showed PF4-dependent platelet-activating antibodies. In conclusion, antibodies against PF4 induced by vaccination do not cross-react with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, indicating that the intended vaccine-induced immune response against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is not the trigger of VITT. PF4-reactive antibodies found in patients with COVID-19 in this study were not associated with thrombotic complications.

Publisher

American Society of Hematology

Subject

Cell Biology,Hematology,Immunology,Biochemistry

Reference41 articles.

1. Structural and functional properties of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein: potential antivirus drug development for COVID-19;Huang;Acta Pharmacol Sin.,2020

2. SARS-CoV-2 cell entry depends on ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and is blocked by a clinically proven protease inhibitor;Hoffmann;Cell.,2020

3. The European Medicines Agency’s EU conditional marketing authorisations for COVID-19 vaccines;Cavaleri;Lancet.,2021

4. Service-Presse-Sehr seltene Fälle des “Thrombose-mit-Thrombozytopenie Syndroms (TTS) nach Impfung;Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (Bundesinstitut für Impfstoffe und biomedizinische Arzneimittel),2021

5. Thrombotic thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccination;Greinacher;N Engl J Med.,2021

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3