Autoantibody production in pregnancy: relationship with mRNA BNT162b2 immunization, active COVID-19, and pre-eclampsia.

ABSTRACT: Starting June 2021, in Brazil, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign prioritized pregnant and postpartum women to use the mRNA-based BNT162b2 (Comirnaty) vaccine, the preferred choice due to its safety profile. Although mRNA vaccines are generally safe, concerns about potential autoimmune side effects have arisen. This study aimed to assess the frequency of autoantibody production among pregnant women vaccinated with BNT162b2 compared to unvaccinated groups with active COVID-19, pre-eclampsia, and healthy control women. We studied 273 pregnant women aged 18-48 years, stratified into four groups: healthy vaccinated, healthy unvaccinated, COVID-19 positive, and pre-eclampsia. An additional control group comprised 47 healthy, non-pregnant women. Autoantibodies were detected using the HEp-2 kit (E

SUBMITTER: da Silva MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12507805 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature