AstraZeneca: Impurities as a possible cause of the side effects

It has not yet been clearly clarified why AstraZeneca’s corona vaccine leads to increased sinus vein thrombosis. Scientists from the University Hospital Ulm examined three batches of the vaccine. The result: All three were heavily contaminated. Read more about this here.

The researchers’ work is a first indication of the cause of the side effects, but can not provide complete proof of the development of VITT (vaccine-induced immune thrombotic  thrombocytopenia ). This vaccine-induced lack of blood platelets can result in dangerous  thrombosis  . The results were presented in advance as a preprint of an unpublished study.

How the AstraZeneca vaccine works

AstraZeneca  briefly explained: With AstraZeneca’s vector vaccine, the genetic information of the spike protein of the pathogen  SARS-CoV-2  is packaged in the envelope of a harmless virus (vector). A chimpanzee cold virus (adenovirus) is used as the vector for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

This transports the blueprint for the spike protein into the human cells. The body uses this schedule to recreate the spike protein itself, preparing itself to recognize the virus. This protein enables the virus to dock onto human cells in the event of an infection and also serves as an antigen: our  immune system uses antigens to recognize  the virus as a foreign body and forms antibodies against it.

Several different proteins found

The scientists at Ulm University Hospital compared protein stains from batches ABV4678, ABV5811 and ABV7764 with the staining of a laboratory reference vector.

The result: All three batches contained human (human) and viral  proteins that are not part of the chimpanzee adenovirus vector.

All three batches received

• significantly more proteins than expected in the vaccine dose.
• a high number of human proteins (two-thirds).
• only 29 percent of the protein of ChAdOx1-S.
• unexpected nonstructural proteins. So virus proteins that are not involved in the structural build-up.

In total, the researchers found over 1,000 peptides from different human proteins. These come from the cell line on the basis of which the genetic information for the construction plan of the spike protein is cultivated in the laboratory.

Heat shock protein possible cause of sinus vein thrombosis?

The heat shock protein (HSP) was frequently detected in the analysis and could provide first indications of the development of sinus vein thrombosis as a result of thrombocytopenia.

Previous studies at the University of Greifswald showed similar results: The immune system could react to the increased proteins and thus trigger an inflammatory reaction, which is responsible for the formation of thrombosis.

The EDTA contained in the vaccine increases the permeability of the vessels. The result: the complex proteins get into the bloodstream. EDTA is actually only supposed to increase the contact of the vaccine with the blood platelets.

However, the rapid absorption of the different protein complexes could be responsible for the excessive immune response and cause the accumulation of  platelets  , which clump together.

This would subsequently activate coagulation and manifest itself in the form of sinus vein thrombosis.

The researchers also point out the following aspects:

• Heat shock proteins can enhance the immune response in general and are often implicated in autoimmune reactions.
• The injection site in the direct muscle could also be relevant due to the increased protein breakdown in the muscle.

So far, the first impurities have been analyzed and a possible connection with the severe side effects has been established. The extent to which viral proteins affect platelet formation and how the contaminants affect the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine remains to be elucidated.