COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines: The Molecular Basis of Some Adverse Events

Abstract

Each injection of any known vaccine results in a strong expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This is the result of the innate immune system activation, without which no adaptive response to the injection of vaccines is possible. Unfortunately, the degree of inflammation produced by COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is variable, probably depending on genetic background and previous immune experiences, which through epigenetic modifications could have made the innate immune system of each individual tolerant or reactive to subsequent immune stimulations.We hypothesize that we can move from a limited pro-inflammatory condition to conditions of increasing expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines that can culminate in multisystem hyperinflammatory syndromes following COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (MIS-V). We have graphically represented this idea in a hypothetical inflammatory pyramid (IP) and we have correlated the time factor to the degree of inflammation produced after the injection of vaccines. Furthermore, we have placed the clinical manifestations within this hypothetical IP, correlating them to the degree of inflammation produced. Surprisingly, excluding the possible presence of an early MIS-V, the time factor and the complexity of clinical manifestations are correlated to the increasing degree of inflammation: symptoms, heart disease and syndromes (MIS-V).

Keywords: COVID-19 mRNA vaccine adverse events; COVID-19 mRNA vaccines; MIS-A; MIS-C; MIS-V; arrhythmias and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines; multisystem inflammatory syndrome and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines; myo-pericarditis and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines; myocarditis; pathogenesis of myocarditis following COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.

Figure 1

Inflammatory Pyramid (IP) following COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. In our hypothesis, we correlated the timeline of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine adverse events to the degree of inflammation that can occur after their injection. On the left side, we have diversified the time of onset of adverse events, based on the scientific literature presented here. On the right side, we stratified the degree of inflammation into three progressive levels starting from the base of the IP to reach its apex: low-grade, low-medium grade, and high grade of inflammation. The levels of the pyramid are occupied by adverse events, which start from the base and lead to the apex with this increasing degree of clinical complexity: systemic symptoms, heart disease, hyperinflammatory multisystem syndromes (MIS). The timeline correlates with the degree of inflammation and both relate to the different severity of the clinical manifestations temporally associated with the first injection of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.