Brief Report(s)
Vol. 14 (2026)
Two-year follow-up study on the occurrence of antinuclear autoantibodies and clinical manifestations in a population of hospital healthcare workers after anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 5 May 2026
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Background: although COVID-19 vaccination has been essential for controlling the pandemic, concerns have been raised about possible autoimmune adverse events.
This two-year follow-up study evaluated the occurrence of Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) and related clinical symptoms in Healthcare Workers (HCWs) receiving BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccines.
Methods: fifty-two HCWs who had received at least three mRNA vaccine doses were enrolled; 35 completed blood sampling at baseline (T0) and at 3 (T1), 12 (T2), and 24 months (T3) after the first dose. ANA were assessed by indirect immunofluorescence on HEp-2 cells.
Results: seventeen ANA-negative HCWs who remained uninfected with SARS-CoV-2 throughout follow-up were included in the final analysis. Ten developed de novo ANA at different time points, and five remained positive at T1, T2, and T3 without developing clinically significant autoimmune symptoms.
Conclusions: ANA may develop after COVID-19 vaccination in previously ANA-negative HCWs, but no associated clinical manifestations were observed.
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How to Cite
Two-year follow-up study on the occurrence of antinuclear autoantibodies and clinical manifestations in a population of hospital healthcare workers after anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. (2026). Working Paper of Public Health, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/wpph.2026.10881
Copyright (c) 2026 Maria Cristina Sacchi, Carolina Pelazza, Lisa Agatea, Piera De Gaspari, Daniele Ielo, Marinella Bertolotti, Paolo Stobbione, Tatiana Bolgeo, Daria Valentini, Piero Novel, Andrea Piccinini, Maria Matilde Ciriello
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
