Effect of COVID-19 vaccination on the immune status and autoantibody profile in women of reproductive age
Authors: Dovgan A. A. , Drapkina Yu. S. , Dolgushina N. V. , Menzhinskaya I. V. , Inviyaeva E. V. , Vtorushina V. V. , Krechetova L. V. , Sukhikh G. T. 
Published: November 2022

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific interest is growing in studying the impact of the proposed vaccination on women’s reproductive health. As is known, alterations in the state of the immune system and activation of an autoimmune response can lead to reproductive failure in women and potential complications of subsequent pregnancy. Objective: to evaluate the effect of the “Gam-COVID-Vac” on the immune status parameters, the relationship of their changes and the specific immune response to vaccination with the dynamics of the level of autoantibodies in women of reproductive age.

The prospective study included 120 women who were vaccinated against COVID-19 with the “Gam-COVIDVac”. The criteria for inclusion in the study were: the age from 18 to 49 years, the absence of COVID-19 in the anamnesis, a negative result of a study on SARS-CoV-2 by PCR and negative results of tests for antibodies of classes G and M to SARS-CoV-2 before vaccination, the absence of pregnancy and serious somatic diseases. The patients were examined twice: immediately before vaccination and 90-100 days after the introduction of the 1st component of the vaccine. The level of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination was assessed using ELISA. Before and after vaccination, the levels of antiphospholipid, anti-nuclear, organ-specific and antihormonal autoantibodies were determined, peripheral blood lymphocytes were immunophenotyped to determine the main subpopulations (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD5, CD16, CD56), as well as the expression of activation markers of lymphocytes (HLA-DR, CD25, CD147) using monoclonal antibodies.

The effectiveness and safety of the combined vector vaccine against COVID-19 were high. Specific IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 were produced in 98.3% of vaccinated women, no serious adverse reactions were observed. After vaccination, there was an increase in the level of some autoantibodies within the reference ranges, only IgM antibodies to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and IgG antibodies to DNA increased above the reference values. However, this increase was transient. After vaccination, the following changes in the parameters of the immunogram were observed: an increase in the content of cells with CD3+CD25+, CD19+ phenotype in peripheral blood and a decrease in the content of cells with CD56+CD16+ phenotype within the reference ranges, a decrease in CD147+/CD3+. Weak correlations were noted between these changes in immunogram parameters and the levels of some autoantibodies. The specific antiviral immune response to vaccination did not correlate with the autoimmune response.

Vaccination with “Gam-COVID-Vac” is effective and safe and does not lead to disorders in the immune system. The observed increase in the level of autoantibodies to PE and DNA is transient. Changes in the parameters of the immune status within the reference ranges may be due to vaccination and the development of a specific antiviral immune response.