<scp>COVID</scp>‐19 infection‐associated platelet and neutrophil activation is blunted by previous anti‐<scp>SARS‐C</scp>o<scp>V</scp>‐2 vaccination
Eleonora Petito, Laura Franco, Emanuela Falcinelli, Giuseppe Guglielmini, Chiara Conti, Gaetano Vaudo, Ugo Paliani, Cecilia Becattini, Antonella Mencacci, Francesca Tondi, Paolo Gresele, COVIR‐Study Investigators
Abstract
The effectiveness of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in preventing COVID-19 or in reducing severe illness in subjects hospitalized for COVID-19 despite vaccination has been unequivocally shown. However, no studies so far have assessed if subjects who get COVID-19 despite vaccination are protected from SARS-CoV-2-induced platelet, neutrophil and endothelial activation, biomarkers associated with thrombosis and worse outcome. In this pilot study, we show that previous vaccination blunts COVID-19-associated platelet activation, assessed by circulating platelet-derived microvesicles and soluble P-selectin, and neutrophil activation, assessed by circulating neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) biomarkers and matrix metalloproteinase-9, and reduces COVID-19-associated thrombotic events, hospitalization in intensive-care units and death.