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. 2021 Sep 2;8(9):002807.
doi: 10.12890/2021_002807. eCollection 2021.

Recurrence of Graves' Disease (a Th1-type Cytokine Disease) Following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Administration: A Simple Coincidence?

Guillaume Pierman  1 , Etienne Delgrange  1 , Corinne Jonas  1
Affiliations

Recurrence of Graves' Disease (a Th1-type Cytokine Disease) Following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Administration: A Simple Coincidence?

Guillaume Pierman et al. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med. .

Abstract

Graves' disease is the most frequent cause of hyperthyroidism in young women. This auto-immune disease is due to the production of class 1 IgG stimulating the TSH receptor. These antibodies are produced secondary to a Th1 immune response in which interferon gamma plays a key role. Vaccination is ongoing worldwide against SARS-CoV-2 and some of the vaccines include mRNA which seems to stimulate the Th1 immune response. Here, we report a case of recurrence of hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease following mRNA vaccination and discuss the possible implicated mechanism. This observation argues for a systematic study of a population of patients with previous Graves' disease in order to assess the risk of recurrence following vaccination.

Learning points: Graves' disease is a Th1-mediated immune disease in which interferon gamma plays a key role.The recurrence of hyperthyroidism due to Grave's disease should be monitored in patients exposed to risk factors.

Keywords: Graves’ disease; Hyperthyroidism; SARS-CoV-2; vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests.

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