Vaccine-induced Myocarditis and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
A study published in January 2023 found that people who developed myocarditis after receiving a coronavirus vaccine had significantly higher levels of the virus's spike protein that was not bound by immune antibodies. It was also found in 10% of patients with chronic Hepatitis C up to 28 days after COVID-19 vaccination. The spike protein may damage the heart's pericytes or endothelium by reducing the expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), reducing the production of nitric oxide in the endothelium, or activating integrin-mediated inflammation with hyperpermeability of the endothelial cell layer. The study prospectively collected blood from 16 patients with myocarditis who were hospitalized at two hospitals in Massachusetts (2 after the 1st dose, 12 after the second dose, and 2 after the 3rd dose) and compared the results to those from 45 vaccinated control subjects with no serious side effects. The individuals with myocarditis had essentially the same antib...