Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody-Associated Glomerulonephritis as a Possible Side Effect of COVID-19 Vaccination

Abstract

Vaccination is the principal tool aimed at curbing the COVID-19 pandemic that has, so far, affected tens of millions of individuals in the United States. The two available mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna possess high efficacy in preventing infection and illness severity. However, there are multiple side effects associated with these vaccines, some impacting different organs. Renal pathology is variable, with increasing cases of glomerulonephritis being observed. We report a rare acute kidney injury case due to antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-mediated glomerulonephritis after administering a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Aggravation and/or development of autoimmunity after mRNA vaccination may involve multiple immune mechanisms leading to de novo and recurrent glomerular diseases with an autoimmune basis.

COVID-19, post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS, “long COVID”) and post-COVID-19 vaccination syndrome (PCVS, “post-COVIDvac-syndrome”): Similarities and differences

“…Autoantibodies were detected during the acute phase of COVID-19 [316] , [317] , [318] , [319] , [320] , [321] , [322] , [323] , [324] , [325] , [326] , [327] , [328] , [329] , [330] , [331] , [332] , [333] , months afterwards (predicting PACS symptoms) [334] , [335] , in PACS [336] , [337] , [338] , [339] , [340] , and in PCVS [295] , [298] , [341] , [342] , [343] , [344] , [345] , [346] , [347] , [348] , [349] , [350] , [351] , [352] , [353] , [354] , [355] , [356] , [357] , [358] , [359] , [360] , [361] , [362] , [363] , [364] , [365] . In the absence of PCVS after COVID-19 vaccination, autoantibodies are generally not present [366] , [367] , [368] .…”

ANCA Associated Glomerulonephritis Following SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination: A Case Series and Systematic Review

“…The following supporting information can be downloaded at: , Table S1: Clinical spectrums and outcomes of ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Refs [ 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 ] mentioned in Supplementary Materials.…”