Welcome to the Autoimmunity 2021 Congress Calendar

Background and Aims

To date, the official position is that vaccines by large are safe and effective and are essential to reduce the prevalence of severe morbidity and death from infectious diseases, stressing that adverse reactions are rare and marginal compared to their benefits. In light of this, individuals, researchers or doctors who are perceived as challenging this position might be subject to various suppressing actions taken against them as a means of silencing vaccination dissent. It seems that the struggle over this issue has recently escalated, following the WHO's announcement of vaccine hesitancy as one of the 10 most significant threats to global health. One alleged means for silencing vaccine critics is retracting papers that raise questions regarding the safety of vaccines after their initial acceptance for publication. Suppressing individuals who challenge the mainstream position violates the notion of "good science" and adversely affects public trust in science in general and medicine in particular. The purpose of our study is to explore and expose various types of alleged criminal behaviors in the field of immunization, carried out by stakeholder organizations, individuals and journals. We will present preliminary insights into the process of paper retractions and its supposed causes and motives, allegedly scientific or criminal.

Methods

Qualitative research based on interviews with researchers whose papers on vaccine have been retracted from the journal after first was publication

Results

The study is still in progress, preliminary findings will be presented at the conferecne.

Conclusions

The study is still in progress, preliminary conclusions will be presented at the conference.

Background and Aims

Injection of aluminum (Al) adjuvants induces formation of long-lasting granulomas, composed of activated macrophages. These granulomas have a key role in the development of the ovine ASIA syndrome and may represent a threat in macrophage-tropic viral infections. Small Ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) are retroviruses that infect and actively replicate in macrophages. The aim of this work is to evaluate the interaction between Al-containing postvaccination granulomas and SRLV.

Methods

Eleven adult ewes affected by lentiviral disease were inoculated with 8 doses of: i) Commercial Al-based vaccines (Vaccine group; n=6); ii) Alhydrogel® (Adjuvant-only group; n=3); iii) PBS (Control group; n=2). SRLV-antibodies and viral load were measured at the beginning and the end of the experiment by ELISA and qPCR, respectively. DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), Al-containing granulomas and other tissue samples was obtained. LTR, pol and env regions were amplified and sequenced. Immunohistochemistry of infected granulomas was performed against SRLV.

Results

Granuloma formation was constant in Vaccine and Adjuvant-only groups. Presence of SRLV in granulomas reached about 50% of samples analyzed. Viral protein was localized within macrophages in granulomas. In three sheep, the viral strain found in the granuloma was different from strains isolated in PBMC or other tissues in the same animal and recombination was appreciated.

Conclusions

Al-induced granulomas provide suitable ground for SRLV replication and favor the generation of new viral strains. This interaction between a secondary vaccine reaction and a retrovirus is shown here for the first time in and opens an unexplored avenue in other mammal species, including humans.

Background and Aims

The aim of this study is to presents a thorough analysis of vaccination-related optic neuritis.

Methods

The cases of post-vaccination optic neuritis were extracted from PubMed and Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) databases. The time interval between vaccination and the first symptoms of the disease, type of the vaccine used, treatment and its outcome were analyzed.

Results

585 cases of vaccination-related optic neuritis were identified. The majority concerned isolated optic neuritis (62%), although numerous reports of optic neuritis as the first symptom of further demyelinating disease were also encountered. Influenza vaccine was the leading cause of isolated optic neuritis, hepatitis B vaccine was mostly associated with diseases entailing further demyelination. Moreover, the time interval between vaccine delivery and the first symptoms of the disease was shorter in cases of isolated optic neuritis in comparison to optic neuritis in the course of the central nervous system demyelinating diseases.

Conclusions

Although infrequently, optic neuritis may be triggered by vaccination. Physicians should be aware of this autoimmune phenomenon, performing detailed immunological screening should be encouraged in every optic neuritis patient.

Background and Aims

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) refers to a continuum of decreasing ovarian function in women before the age of 40. To date, the cause of POI in the majority of cases remain unresolved. Many cases has been linked to genetic, toxic, infections, enzymatic and iatrogenic causes.

A key function of the immune system is to identify and differentiate “self” and “non self” i.e. tolerance. Loss of self-tolerance results in an immune response against self-tissues and thus autoimmunity. Various investigations have highlighted the role of autoimmunity and its pertinence to POI. Several potential immune antigenic targets in the ovary have been reported to be involved in autoantibody induced autoimmune attack. The presence of lymphocytic oöphorits in ovarian samples of patients with POI provides histopathological evidence of autoimmune ovarian involvement. Finally, POI is strongly associated with other autoimmune conditions including for instance Addison disease, autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS) −1, APS-4, hypothyroidism, and diabetes mellitus among other autoimmune diseases. Taken together, these lines of evidence provide strong basis that support the role of autoimmunity as a potential cause of disease etiopathogenesis. Continuing research is increasingly providing more insight into the complex disease process. The aim of this review is to summarize the current literature related to the autoimmune nature of POI.

Methods

this is a review

Results

this is a review

Conclusions

this is a review

Background and Aims

CDC and AAP recommend a standard immunization schedule for all children. Variations in the schedule due to concurrent illness, parental preference or immune dysregulation are discouraged. We hypothesize that children are healthier when they are not subjected to “one size fits all” vaccine policies.

Methods

Comprehensive data on 2,590 patients from a pediatric practice allowing modified vaccine schedules were analyzed for multiple outcomes with regards to immunization status. Patients defined as “inborn” were seen by our practice during the first 28 days of life. Real-world data include all sources of variability affecting disease rates, which clinical trials do not.

Results

Inborn patients received vaccines on a modified schedule that recommended hepatitis B vaccine at age 3 or above (unless mom positive), and MMR vaccine at age 2 for most children (3 for African American children). We did not recommend rotavirus or Gardasil vaccines. Inborn patients received fewer vaccines simultaneously (1 or 2 injections) than outborn patients.

Likelihood of developing autism was statistically significantly higher for outborn (6.3%) than for inborn patients following a modified schedule (0.52%). CDC surveillance autism rates were 1-3% during study period.

Likelihood of developing asthma was statistically significantly higher for outborn (6.3%) than for inborn patients (0.1%).

Conclusions

Patients given an alternative vaccine schedule since birth demonstrated significantly lower incidences of autism and asthma, providing evidence for re-evaluation of temporal association between vaccines and important chronic illnesses. Similar results are being analyzed on a cohort of more than 20,000 patients.