Update July 5, 2022: Type of kidney diseases after COVID-19 vaccination included.
Kidney failure can arise after COVID vaccination. The cases presented here are from published case reports in medical journals. These reports were written by physicians that established a relationship between the COVID shots and the development of kidney diseases.
Early diagnosis and treatment are needed in any condition, especially kidney disease. Failure to do so may lead to death or lifelong dialysis.
I summarized three case reports in this article. [1],[2],[3]. Of a total of 46 patients, 26 (56%) of them are newly diagnosed with glomerulonephritis (GN), whereas 19 of the 46 cases (41%) were relapses. One case of nephrotic syndrome. The age range is from 19-83 years. 52% are males.
Glomerulonephritis is an inflammation of the glomerulus, a network of capillaries whose job is to filter the blood. The glomeruli are lined by only one layer of cells. They filter toxins from the blood and are sensitive to damage.
Vaccines received
Among the 46 cases of kidney failures, the following COVID injections were received.
- Pfizer 22 (47%)
- Moderna 17 (36%)
- Astra Zeneca 4 (8%)
- Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) 2 (4%)
- Sinovac 1
Kidney failures occur as early as one day to four weeks after the first COVID shots. Relapse cases develop kidney failure symptoms earlier—some in less than 24 hours to two days after the first dose.
Signs and Symptoms of kidney failure
- Decreased urine output, although occasionally urine output remains normal
- Blood in the urine
- Fluid retention, causing swelling in your legs, ankles, or feet
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Irregular heartbeat
- Chest pain or pressure
- Seizures or coma in severe cases
- Sometimes, there are no signs or symptoms detected through lab tests for another reason.
Types of Glomerulonephritis Diagnosed
- IgA Nephropathy (most common)
- Membranous Glomerulopathy
- Minimal change Diseases
- Primary Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)
- Acute Tubulointertitial nephritis (TIN)
- NELL-1-associated Memebranous Nephropathy
- Atypical anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) nephritis.
Outcomes
80% improved with treatment. Of the reported 46 patients, only two require dialysis.
Possible explanations for the kidney failures
- Some nucleotide sequences of the spike protein are similar to humans and can elicit an autoimmune response that is called molecular mimicry. I wrote about that in COVID-19, Autoimmunity, and Vaccination Part 2 in January 2021.
- Ingredients found in COVID-19 vaccines, such as mRNA and polyethylene glycol, are known to be immunogenic and can induce a hypersensitivity-like reaction.
- The hyperactive immune system in people with autoimmune diseases like Type 1 diabetes mellitus, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and psoriatic arthritis. The presence of the spike protein further aggravates the immune response.
Take Away Message
The three things you have to know in this article:
- Kidney failure can happen after the COVID shots.
- Know the symptoms of kidney failure
- Call your doctor immediately if you think there is a problem.
Truth heals. Lies kill. Don’t Get Sick!
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Reference:
- Klomjit N, Alexander MP, Fervenza FC, Zoghby Z, Garg A, Hogan MC, Nasr SH, Minshar MA, Zand L. COVID-19 Vaccination and Glomerulonephritis. Kidney Int Rep. 2021 Dec;6(12):2969-2978. doi: 10.1016/j.ekir.2021.09.008. Epub 2021 Oct 6. PMID: 34632166; PMCID: PMC8493782.
- Lim JH, Kim MS, Kim YJ, Han MH, Jung HY, Choi JY, Cho JH, Kim CD, Kim YL, Park SH. New-Onset Kidney Diseases after COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Series. Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Feb 16;10(2):302. doi: 10.3390/vaccines10020302. PMID: 35214760; PMCID: PMC8880359.
- Lim JH, Han MH, Kim YJ, Kim MS, Jung HY, Choi JY, Cho JH, Kim CD, Kim YL, Park SH. New-onset Nephrotic Syndrome after Janssen COVID-19 Vaccination: a Case Report and Literature Review. J Korean Med Sci. 2021 Aug 2;36(30):e218. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e218. PMID: 34342187; PMCID: PMC8329389.
Image Credit: Glomerulus By Henry Vandyke Carter. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1412315
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