Journal of Nephropathology (Mar 2023)

IgA vasculitis nephritis (Schönlein-Henoch purpura with nephritis) following COVID-19 vaccination

  • Leila Mahmoodnia,
  • Shahin Asgari Savadjani,
  • Leila Mostafavi,
  • Setayesh Sotoudehnia Korani,
  • Fatemeh Mohammad Alizadeh,
  • Mahshid Sadat Chenarani Moghadam,
  • Hamid Reza Jahantigh,
  • Sina Neshat,
  • Ali Shirbacheh,
  • Jyoti Baharani,
  • Rohollah Masomi,
  • Zahra Golestani Hotkani

DOI
https://doi.org/10.34172/jnp.2023.21447
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 2
pp. e21447 – e21447

Abstract

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IgA vasculitis nephritis (Schönlein-Henoch purpura nephritis) is an autoimmune circumstance characterized by palpable purpura involving the lower limbs, arthralgia, abdominal pain and kidney involvement. It is possible that a cytokine storm following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could lead to an immunological dysregulation responsible for IgA vasculitis nephritis in these cases. Reactivation or first onset of IgA vasculitis nephritis is uncommon; however, there have been increasing reports of this disease, as a complication of COVID-19 vaccination. It is possible that COVID-19 mRNA vaccination may trigger several auto-inflammatory and autoimmune cascades. Previous research has shown that Toll-like receptors play a role in the development of IgA vasculitis nephritis. Following injection of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, the uptake of double-stranded RNA by-products will trigger Toll-like receptors, leading to a series of intracellular cascades starting an innate immunity-driven process of cell-mediated and humoral- mediated immunity.

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