Myocarditis After COVID-19 Vaccination: Is Spike Protein the Culprit?

Approximately 1–2 cases per 100,000 recipients (more often males) of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine develop myocarditis or pericarditis, but the specific cause of this complication remains unknown. In a study of 61 adolescents and young adults who received SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination, Yonker et al. assessed SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and T-cell responses, autoantibodies, cytokines, and SARS-CoV-2 antigen profiles. Participants included 16 patients with myocarditis after vaccination (81% male) and 45 healthy, asymptomatic, age-matched, vaccinated controls (40% male). Blood samples were collected a median 4 days after vaccination (range, 1–19 days) for cases and 14 days (range, 4–21 days) for controls.

Antibody and T-cell responses were indistinguishable …