Serum macrophage colony-stimulating factor levels in patients with essential hypertension after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2

The formation of immunity in the population to various variants of the COVID-19 pathogen is one of the most important problems for the world community. The aim of the study was to compare the dynamics of M-CSF and VEGF-A, IL-34 in the blood serum of patients with essential hypertension (EH) stage II, depending on the type of immunity formed (post-infectious, post-vaccination, “hybrid”) to analyze changes of M-CSF-mediated mechanisms of hypertension development. During the work, 2 groups of patients were formed: group 1-patients with stage II EH and SARS CoV-2 infection without pneumonia in the anamnesis, vaccination 6 months after laboratory recovery, group 2 – patients with stage II EH without COVID-19 in the anamnesis, vaccination during the follow-up period. Determination of M-CSF, IL-34, VEGF-A, IgG level to SARS-CoV-2 was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The formation of post-infectious immunity in patients with stage II EH, despite the mild course of COVID-19, is accompanied by a long-term (up to 6 months) pathophysiologically significant increase in the serum level of M-CSF (p < 0.001) with a decrease in IL-34 (p < 0.001). Analysis of the dynamics of changes in M-CSF, IL-34, VEGF-A in the postvaccination period in the blood serum of patients with stage II EH with COVID-19 in the anamnesis (“hybrid” immunity), determined the absence (p < 0.05) of changes in the levels of M-CSF, VEGF-A after the first component of “SPUTNIK V” against the background of an increase of the level of IgG to SARS-CoV-2. 21 days after the second component of the vaccine, an increase of M-CSF was detected when compared with both pre-vaccination indicators and data 21 days after the introduction of the first component of the vaccine (p < 0.001). Comparing the dynamics of the of M-CSF, IL-34 and VEGF-A in patients with stage II EH without COVID-19 in the post-vaccination period with the data on the formation of “hybrid” immunity, an increase in M-CSF was recorded 21 days after the introduction of the first and second components against the background of a decrease in IL-34, but with the restoration of pre-vaccination concentrations in 100% of patients by day 180 with comparable immunogenicity after 180 days. In patients with EH II, the pathogenetic “summation” of the pre-infectious imbalance of cytokine regulation and postcovid changes is important, which in a number of patients may be the reason for the prolongation of the stabilization of the balance of the M-CSF-IL-34-VEGF-A system in the post-vaccination period during the formation of “hybrid” immunity.