Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination associates with upregulated expression of ferritin heavy chain-1 and transferrin receptor
Background: High serum ferritin (hyperferritinemia) is a routine finding in individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and a reliable marker of coronavirus disease 2019 severity. We previously observed hypomethylation of the ferritin heavy chain-1 (FTH1) g...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Advances in Biomedical and Health Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/abhs.abhs_115_24 |
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| author | Mohammad G. Mohammad Nada Mazen Farhat Ameera Abu-Qiyas Jasmin Shafarin Bilal Rah Nour Dallal Wassim El Baba Fatima Bukhalaf Ameera Askari Mohamad Madkhour Jibran Sualeh Muhammad Mawieh Hamad |
| author_facet | Mohammad G. Mohammad Nada Mazen Farhat Ameera Abu-Qiyas Jasmin Shafarin Bilal Rah Nour Dallal Wassim El Baba Fatima Bukhalaf Ameera Askari Mohamad Madkhour Jibran Sualeh Muhammad Mawieh Hamad |
| author_sort | Mohammad G. Mohammad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background:
High serum ferritin (hyperferritinemia) is a routine finding in individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and a reliable marker of coronavirus disease 2019 severity. We previously observed hypomethylation of the ferritin heavy chain-1 (FTH1) gene induced by the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Given that this protein is present in the majority of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the question of whether such vaccines can induce epigenetic changes and alter the pattern of FTH1 expression to induce hyperferritinemia is yet to be explored.
Methods:
Blood samples from 84 healthy individuals who received one or more jabs of Sinopharm and/or Pfizer vaccines or were not vaccinated were assessed for plasma ferritin levels and the expression of FTH1 and transferrin receptor (TFRC) genes. The expression of ten-eleven translocation (TETs 1–3) methylcytosine dioxygenases that facilitate cytosine demethylation and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs 1, 3A and 3B), which mediate cytosine methylation was also examined.
Results:
Our results showed that plasma ferritin levels in vaccinated individuals were slightly, but not significantly, higher than those in unvaccinated controls. However, the expression of FTH1 and TFRC genes was significantly upregulated in vaccinated individuals compared to that in controls. Moreover, the expression of TETs 1-3 and DNMTs 1, 3A, and 3B was significantly higher in the vaccinated individuals than in the controls.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is associated with significant epigenetic reprogramming that upregulates FTH1 and TFRC expression without precipitating hyperferritinemia. This indicates that individuals vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 have minimal or no risk of chronic inflammation or tissue damage related to hyperferritinemia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c4b0c2dadc6f44888046e65340e8f2e1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2773-1545 2773-1553 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Biomedical and Health Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-c4b0c2dadc6f44888046e65340e8f2e12025-08-20T03:39:15ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsAdvances in Biomedical and Health Sciences2773-15452773-15532025-07-014313314010.4103/abhs.abhs_115_24Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination associates with upregulated expression of ferritin heavy chain-1 and transferrin receptorMohammad G. MohammadNada Mazen FarhatAmeera Abu-QiyasJasmin ShafarinBilal RahNour DallalWassim El BabaFatima BukhalafAmeera AskariMohamad MadkhourJibran Sualeh MuhammadMawieh HamadBackground: High serum ferritin (hyperferritinemia) is a routine finding in individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and a reliable marker of coronavirus disease 2019 severity. We previously observed hypomethylation of the ferritin heavy chain-1 (FTH1) gene induced by the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Given that this protein is present in the majority of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the question of whether such vaccines can induce epigenetic changes and alter the pattern of FTH1 expression to induce hyperferritinemia is yet to be explored. Methods: Blood samples from 84 healthy individuals who received one or more jabs of Sinopharm and/or Pfizer vaccines or were not vaccinated were assessed for plasma ferritin levels and the expression of FTH1 and transferrin receptor (TFRC) genes. The expression of ten-eleven translocation (TETs 1–3) methylcytosine dioxygenases that facilitate cytosine demethylation and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs 1, 3A and 3B), which mediate cytosine methylation was also examined. Results: Our results showed that plasma ferritin levels in vaccinated individuals were slightly, but not significantly, higher than those in unvaccinated controls. However, the expression of FTH1 and TFRC genes was significantly upregulated in vaccinated individuals compared to that in controls. Moreover, the expression of TETs 1-3 and DNMTs 1, 3A, and 3B was significantly higher in the vaccinated individuals than in the controls. Conclusion: These findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is associated with significant epigenetic reprogramming that upregulates FTH1 and TFRC expression without precipitating hyperferritinemia. This indicates that individuals vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 have minimal or no risk of chronic inflammation or tissue damage related to hyperferritinemia.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/abhs.abhs_115_24ferritin heavy chain-1hyperferritinemiamethylationsevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2vaccine |
| spellingShingle | Mohammad G. Mohammad Nada Mazen Farhat Ameera Abu-Qiyas Jasmin Shafarin Bilal Rah Nour Dallal Wassim El Baba Fatima Bukhalaf Ameera Askari Mohamad Madkhour Jibran Sualeh Muhammad Mawieh Hamad Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination associates with upregulated expression of ferritin heavy chain-1 and transferrin receptor Advances in Biomedical and Health Sciences ferritin heavy chain-1 hyperferritinemia methylation severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine |
| title | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination associates with upregulated expression of ferritin heavy chain-1 and transferrin receptor |
| title_full | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination associates with upregulated expression of ferritin heavy chain-1 and transferrin receptor |
| title_fullStr | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination associates with upregulated expression of ferritin heavy chain-1 and transferrin receptor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination associates with upregulated expression of ferritin heavy chain-1 and transferrin receptor |
| title_short | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination associates with upregulated expression of ferritin heavy chain-1 and transferrin receptor |
| title_sort | severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination associates with upregulated expression of ferritin heavy chain 1 and transferrin receptor |
| topic | ferritin heavy chain-1 hyperferritinemia methylation severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine |
| url | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/abhs.abhs_115_24 |
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