Platelet Surface Protein Expression and Reactivity upon TRAP Stimulation after BNT162b2 Vaccination

Melissa Klug; Olga Lazareva; Kilian Kirmes; Marc Rosenbaum; Marina Lukas; Simon Weidlich; Christoph D. Spinner; Moritz von Scheidt; Rosanna Gosetti; Jan Baumbach; Jürgen Ruland; Gianluigi Condorelli; Karl-Ludwig Laugwitz; Markus List; Isabell Bernlochner; Dario Bongiovanni

doi:10.1055/s-0041-1733934

Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Table of Contents

Thromb Haemost 2022; 122(10): 1706-1711
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1733934

Cellular Haemostasis and Platelets

Platelet Surface Protein Expression and Reactivity upon TRAP Stimulation after BNT162b2 Vaccination

Melissa Klug‡^*

¹Department of Internal Medicine I, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

²German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany

³Chair of Experimental Bioinformatics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

,

Olga Lazareva‡^*

³Chair of Experimental Bioinformatics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

,

Kilian Kirmes

¹Department of Internal Medicine I, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

,

Marc Rosenbaum

⁴School of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

⁵TranslaTUM, Center for Translational Cancer Research, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

,

Marina Lukas

⁶Department of Internal Medicine III, School of Medicine, University hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

,

Simon Weidlich

⁷Department of Internal Medicine II, School of Medicine, University hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

,

Christoph D. Spinner

⁷Department of Internal Medicine II, School of Medicine, University hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

,

Moritz von Scheidt

²German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany

⁸Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Cardiology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

,

Rosanna Gosetti

¹Department of Internal Medicine I, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

,

Jan Baumbach

⁹Chair of Computational Systems Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

,

Jürgen Ruland

⁴School of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

⁵TranslaTUM, Center for Translational Cancer Research, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

,

Gianluigi Condorelli

¹⁰Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS and Humanitas University, Rozzano, Milan, Italy

,

Karl-Ludwig Laugwitz

¹Department of Internal Medicine I, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

²German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany

,

Markus List^**

³Chair of Experimental Bioinformatics, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

,

Isabell Bernlochner^**

¹Department of Internal Medicine I, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

²German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany

,

Dario Bongiovanni^**

¹Department of Internal Medicine I, School of Medicine, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

²German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany

¹⁰Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS and Humanitas University, Rozzano, Milan, Italy

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection induces a coagulopathy characterized by platelet activation and a hypercoagulable state with an increased incidence of cardiovascular events. The viral spike protein S has been reported to enhance thrombosis formation, stimulate platelets to release procoagulant factors, and promote the formation of platelet–leukocyte aggregates even in absence of the virus. Although SARS-CoV-2 vaccines induce spike protein overexpression to trigger SARS-CoV-2-specific immune protection, thrombocyte activity has not been investigated in this context. Here, we provide the first phenotypic platelet characterization of healthy human subjects undergoing BNT162b2 vaccination. Using mass cytometry, we analyzed the expression of constitutive transmembrane receptors, adhesion proteins, and platelet activation markers in 12 healthy donors before and at five different time points within 4 weeks after the first BNT162b2 administration. We measured platelet reactivity by stimulating thrombocyte activation with thrombin receptor-activating peptide. Activation marker expression (P-selectin, LAMP-3, LAMP-1, CD40L, and PAC-1) did not change after vaccination. All investigated constitutive transmembrane proteins showed similar expressions over time. Platelet reactivity was not altered after BNT162b2 administration. Activation marker expression was significantly lower compared with an independent cohort of mild symptomatic COVID-19 patients analyzed with the same platform. This study reveals that BNT162b2 administration does not alter platelet protein expression and reactivity.

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines - platelets - COVID-19 - platelet activation

Full Text

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material