Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
9.9
3.4
Journals
Vaccines
Special Issues
3rd Edition: Safety and Autoimmune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination
share announcement

3rd Edition: Safety and Autoimmune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1530

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Minghui Yang

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
Interests: PET/CT; COVID-19; Vaccine; Vaccination
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

COVID-19 remains a public health concern. Vaccination is important to prevent disease. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are considered highly effective and safe despite several indications of adverse events following immunization. These transient symptoms have been reported to include cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, demyelinating episodes, lymphadenopathy, cognitive decline, and myalgia/arthralgia.
We invite you to contribute your work to this Special Issue titled “Safety and Autoimmune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination”. This Special Issue aims to publish high-quality reviews, regular research papers, and communications on the safety of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in the general population and special groups, proposals of different schedules and their effects on vaccine safety, security of neurological adverse events following immunization, and other aspects that may be proposed.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Minghui Yang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • COVID-19 vaccine
  • vaccine efficacy
  • vaccine safety
  • adverse events following immunization

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

26 pages, 6162 KiB  
Article
Ethnic Comparisons of Spike-Specific CD4+ T Cells, Serological Responses, and Neutralizing Antibody Titers Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants
by Fani Pantouli, Vanessa Silva-Moraes and Ted M. Ross
Vaccines 2025, 13(6), 607; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13060607 - 4 Jun 2025
Viewed by 764
Abstract
Background/Objectives: To evaluate how immune responses compare among ethnic groups approximately 2 years after receiving a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, ChAdOx1or BBIBP-CorV), we tested T cell responses and Spike-specific RBD-antibody titer, and neutralized antibody titer levels utilizing Spectral Flow cytometry, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: To evaluate how immune responses compare among ethnic groups approximately 2 years after receiving a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, ChAdOx1or BBIBP-CorV), we tested T cell responses and Spike-specific RBD-antibody titer, and neutralized antibody titer levels utilizing Spectral Flow cytometry, ELISA, and SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped-based neutralization assays, respectively. Methods: Forty-four individuals from January–December 2023 were identified within the cohort and were classified into different ethnic backgrounds; Black (N = 13), Asian (N = 14), Caucasian (N = 17). We recognize that the “Asian” group includes diverse subpopulations with distinct genetic and environmental backgrounds, which could not be further stratified due to sample-size limitations. Spike-specific AIM+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell responses were assessed and evaluated against SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the ancestral Wuhan, Delta, and multiple Omicron subvariants (B1.1529, BA2.86, BA.4/5, and XBB.1). Alongside we tested the RBD-IgG and neutralizing antibody titers against the ancestral Wuhan. Spearman’s correlation analysis was utilized to determine corelative relationships among the AIM+ and CD4+ T cell responses, as well as the RBD-IgG and neutralizing antibody titers. Results: Our results show robust and comparable RBD-IgG and neutralizing antibody titers across all groups, with a significant positive correlation between these two measurements. Significant differences were observed in T-cell activation, with Asian participants exhibiting lower frequencies of Spike-specific CD4+ T cells against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants and higher frequencies of cytokine-producing CD4+ T cells (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-2) as compared to the Caucasian group. Breakthrough infection status was not fully controlled and may influence these findings. Conclusion: Despite a small sample size and potential confounding by natural infections within our long-time-span sampling, our data suggest persistent cellular and humoral immunity 2 years after vaccination across ethnicities, with notable differences in T cell activation and cytokine profile. These preliminary observations highlight the need for larger, more detailed studies that consider intra-ethnic diversity and hybrid immunity to better understand ethnic differences in COVID-19 vaccine responses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3rd Edition: Safety and Autoimmune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 969 KiB  
Article
High Rate of Antibody Response to Multiple Doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine in Liver Transplant Recipients: Analysis of Predictive Factors
by Nunzio Zignani, Andrea Costantino, Michele Sagasta, Clara Dibenedetto, Riccardo Perbellini, Sara Uceda Renteria, Pietro Lampertico and Maria Francesca Donato
Vaccines 2025, 13(4), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13040352 - 26 Mar 2025
Viewed by 518
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of immunocompromised individuals, including liver transplant recipients (LTRs), who often exhibit reduced vaccine immunogenicity. While initial vaccine doses and subsequent boosters improved immune response, LTRs were prioritized for vaccination. Studies have shown increased antibody response after [...] Read more.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of immunocompromised individuals, including liver transplant recipients (LTRs), who often exhibit reduced vaccine immunogenicity. While initial vaccine doses and subsequent boosters improved immune response, LTRs were prioritized for vaccination. Studies have shown increased antibody response after each booster dose. Vaccine hesitancy, defined as delayed or refused vaccination despite availability, poses a public health challenge, often fueled by misinformation. This study aimed to evaluate anti-spike antibody responses in vaccinated LTRs after two initial doses and at least one booster, also assessing adherence to subsequent doses. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study at a transplant center in Milan, Italy, between January 2021 and December 2023. LTRs who had received four or more doses of mRNA vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna) were included. Anti-spike antibody levels were measured 60–80 days after each dose. Data on vaccination status were collected in January 2024. Statistical analysis was performed to compare antibody responses and identify predictive factors. Results: LTRs showed a significant increase in anti-spike antibody responses after the first booster compared to the second dose with a trend versus a further increase following the fourth dose in a subgroup of the patients receiving two booster doses. However, adherence to booster doses decreased over time. In LTRs, predictors of a weaker response after the second dose were chronic kidney disease and metabolic etiology at transplant. Conclusions: The study highlighted that in LTRs, multiple doses of the COVID-19 vaccine led to a continuous increase in anti-spike antibody responses. The progressive decline in adherence of LTRs “to further booster doses” should be related to the fact that after the spread of vaccination programs worldwide, COVID-19 is still a current infection, but it is much less severe than before. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3rd Edition: Safety and Autoimmune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop