Topic

Long COVID/ Post-COVID-vaccination syndrome & Cardiac Sequelae

A Korean nationwide study conducted on more than 44 million vaccinated individuals found that the incidence of myocarditis associated with COVID vaccination was highest in males aged 12 to 17 years, and the most serious adverse effect was sudden cardiac death

The authors concluded that the findings of sudden cardiac deaths attributable to COVID vaccine-related myocarditis warrant the careful monitoring or warning of sudden cardiac death as a potentially fatal complication of COVID-19 vaccination, especially in individuals younger than 45 years of age who received the mRNA vaccines.

SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein activates human cardiac fibroblasts in an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor (ACE2)-dependent way and promotes cardiac fibrosis

The S1 protein activates human CFs by priming NLRP3 inflammasomes through NF-κB signaling in an ACE2-dependent way.

The mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines induce different cardiotoxic effects and dysfunction in isolated rat left ventricular cardiomyocytes

This study showed for the first time that mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines induced cardiotoxic effects with disturbances of normal contractile function in rat cardiomyocytes. The effects of vaccines differed fundamentally in their pathophysiological mechanisms.

PET/CT study demonstrated a higher uptake of 18F-FDG, used to detect inflammation, in the myocardium, axilla, liver, and spleen in asymptomatic individuals up to 6 months after the second mRNA COVID vaccination

Individuals who were asymptomatic and underwent PET/CT within a period of 180 days following their second vaccination had increased 18Fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the myocardium, axilla, liver, and spleen as compared to unvaccinated individuals.

According to VAERS, higher rates of myocarditis/pericarditis after mRNA COVID vaccination are reported mainly after the second dose and particularly among young males

In this retrospective pharmacovigilance study of safety signals associated with myocarditis/pericarditis after the primary and up to three booster doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, the second dose of the vaccines showed the strongest signal in vaccinated individuals under 25 years old.

Cardiac MRI shows signs of non-ischemic myocardial fibrosis in a significant portion of the cohort diagnosed with long COVID syndrome (30%)

30% of patients diagnosed with long COVID syndrome had cardiac MRI signs of non-ischemic fibrosis, exceeding the prevalence of this disease in the normal adult population.

Elevated levels of anti-desmoglein 2 autoantibodies were detected in patients with acute COVID-19 and convalescents who recovered after severe COVID-19

The results showed the possible association between anti-Dsg2 autoantibodies and post-COVID-19 cardiac sequelae.