Impaired SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responsiveness is not associated with subclinical atherosclerosis or cardiovascular disease
Andersson, Samuel H A LU
; Chalou, Anthi
LU
; Mulholland, Megan
LU
; Katra, Pernilla
LU
; Ljungcrantz, Irena
LU
; Andersson, Linda
LU
; Engström, Gunnar
LU
; Nilsson, Jan
LU
; Schiopu, Alexandru
LU
and Björkbacka, Harry
LU
, et al.
(2026)
In European Heart Journal Open
6(1).
p.1-5
- Abstract
AIMS: Although age-related immune deterioration has been implicated as a mechanistic contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD), evidence for an impairment of adaptive immune function in individuals with clinically verified presence of atherosclerosis is lacking.
METHODS AND RESULTS: To test the association between atherosclerosis and immune function, we evaluated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responsiveness in 65- to 71-year-old individuals ( n = 644) derived from a population-based cohort, characterized for subclinical atherosclerosis by coronary computed tomography angiography and carotid ultrasound. Vaccine-specific T cells were quantified by activation-induced marker assays and antibody responses by ELISA. We did not find any... (More)
AIMS: Although age-related immune deterioration has been implicated as a mechanistic contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD), evidence for an impairment of adaptive immune function in individuals with clinically verified presence of atherosclerosis is lacking.
METHODS AND RESULTS: To test the association between atherosclerosis and immune function, we evaluated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responsiveness in 65- to 71-year-old individuals ( n = 644) derived from a population-based cohort, characterized for subclinical atherosclerosis by coronary computed tomography angiography and carotid ultrasound. Vaccine-specific T cells were quantified by activation-induced marker assays and antibody responses by ELISA. We did not find any significant associations between the degree of subclinical atherosclerosis or history of cardiovascular disease and vaccine-specific IgG or T cells. Vaccine immunity was not associated with lipid levels but was inversely correlated with several plasma cytokines.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that subclinical atherosclerosis or prevalent CVD is not associated with impaired responsiveness to vaccination.
(Less)
- author
- Andersson, Samuel H A
LU
; Chalou, Anthi
LU
; Mulholland, Megan
LU
; Katra, Pernilla
LU
; Ljungcrantz, Irena
LU
; Andersson, Linda
LU
; Engström, Gunnar
LU
; Nilsson, Jan
LU
; Schiopu, Alexandru
LU
and Björkbacka, Harry
LU
, et al. (More)
- Andersson, Samuel H A
LU
; Chalou, Anthi
LU
; Mulholland, Megan
LU
; Katra, Pernilla
LU
; Ljungcrantz, Irena
LU
; Andersson, Linda
LU
; Engström, Gunnar
LU
; Nilsson, Jan
LU
; Schiopu, Alexandru
LU
; Björkbacka, Harry
LU
and Engelbertsen, Daniel
LU
(Less)
- organization
-
- Cardiovascular Research - Cellular Metabolism and Inflammation (research group)
- Cardiovascular Research - Immunity and Atherosclerosis (research group)
- Cardiovascular research - Immune regulation (research group)
- EXODIAB: Excellence of Diabetes Research in Sweden
- Pathology, Malmö (research group)
- Cardiovascular Research - Epidemiology (research group)
- EpiHealth: Epidemiology for Health
- Cardiac Inflammation Research Group (research group)
- Cardiovascular Research - Matrix and Inflammation in Atherosclerosis (research group)
- publishing date
- 2026-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- European Heart Journal Open
- volume
- 6
- issue
- 1
- article number
- oeaf167
- pages
- 1 - 5
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:41509508
- ISSN
- 2752-4191
- DOI
- 10.1093/ehjopen/oeaf167
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- © The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.
- id
- fb097b53-dedf-4b00-8361-091656911f2d
- date added to LUP
- 2026-01-21 14:04:48
- date last changed
- 2026-01-21 14:20:38
@article{fb097b53-dedf-4b00-8361-091656911f2d,
abstract = {{<p>AIMS: Although age-related immune deterioration has been implicated as a mechanistic contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD), evidence for an impairment of adaptive immune function in individuals with clinically verified presence of atherosclerosis is lacking.</p><p>METHODS AND RESULTS: To test the association between atherosclerosis and immune function, we evaluated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responsiveness in 65- to 71-year-old individuals ( n = 644) derived from a population-based cohort, characterized for subclinical atherosclerosis by coronary computed tomography angiography and carotid ultrasound. Vaccine-specific T cells were quantified by activation-induced marker assays and antibody responses by ELISA. We did not find any significant associations between the degree of subclinical atherosclerosis or history of cardiovascular disease and vaccine-specific IgG or T cells. Vaccine immunity was not associated with lipid levels but was inversely correlated with several plasma cytokines. </p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that subclinical atherosclerosis or prevalent CVD is not associated with impaired responsiveness to vaccination.</p>}},
author = {{Andersson, Samuel H A and Chalou, Anthi and Mulholland, Megan and Katra, Pernilla and Ljungcrantz, Irena and Andersson, Linda and Engström, Gunnar and Nilsson, Jan and Schiopu, Alexandru and Björkbacka, Harry and Engelbertsen, Daniel}},
issn = {{2752-4191}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{1--5}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{European Heart Journal Open}},
title = {{Impaired SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responsiveness is not associated with subclinical atherosclerosis or cardiovascular disease}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ehjopen/oeaf167}},
doi = {{10.1093/ehjopen/oeaf167}},
volume = {{6}},
year = {{2026}},
}