Back in January, Dr. Gregory Michael, a Florida doctor died two weeks after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. A few days after getting the shot, Dr. Michael showed skin signs indicative of internal bleeding. His platelet count was found to be very low. Normally platelet counts should be 157,000 to 371,000 per microliter of blood.
While in the hospital, “Experts from all over the country were involved in his care. No matter what they did, the platelet count refused to go up”. According to the account of the patient’s wife, Heidi Neckelmann, in the New York Post.
A new preprint study from Florida International University, Spike mimicry of thrombopoietin, may induce thrombocytopenia in COVID-19 and explain what happened to the OB-GYN.
The study showed molecular mimicry between the Spike protein from the SAR-CoV-2 and human thrombopoietin.
Molecular mimicry is when a fragment of the protein sequence of two different organisms is similar. In this case, the molecular mimicry is between the TQLPP sequence of the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 and human thrombopoietin.
Thrombopoietin is a hormone produced by the liver and kidneys that are responsible for the production of platelets. The main function of platelets is to initiate necessary clotting inside and outside the body to prevent bleeding.
According to the study,
Our computational analyses identify a shared five-amino acid long sequence motif (TQLPP) with similar structure and antibody-binding properties for these proteins, strongly indicative of molecular mimicry with potential for cross-reactivity.
That means that some antibodies formed against the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 during an infection or after vaccination can potentially attach to the thrombopoietin and hinder platelet formation.
The proof of their findings are exemplified by the presence of neutralizing antibodies against peptides with TQLPP in COVID-19 patients’ convalescent plasma, particularly in severe and fatal cases.
The study authors ended up recommending that future vaccines should be designed to eliminate the TQLPP amino acid sequence to make future vaccines safer.
Take Away Message
This study provides additional insight into the complications of COVID-19 and the vaccines designed to produce spike proteins. The low platelet count may not happen to many, but to the unfortunate one, no amount of medical expertise may be enough to normalize the platelet. Same as what happened to Dr. Gregory Michael.
Knowledge about Covid-19 is rapidly evolving. Information may update as new studies are made. Stay current by subscribing. Feel free to share and like.
Don’t Get Sick!
Reference:
Image credit: Platelet animation By Bbowen23 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49174575
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
© 2018 – 2021 Asclepiades Medicine, LLC All Rights Reserved
DrJesseSantiano.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.