COVID-19 Vaccine and Ovarian Reserve

June 19, 2023 updated by: Dr. Aya Mohr-Sasson, Sheba Medical Center

The Effect of COVID -19 mRNA Vaccine on Ovarian Reserve

As Israel is the first country to widely vaccinate its population using the mRNA vaccine against COVID-19, evaluating its influence on ovarian reserve is essential .

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Introduction:

Although there is as yet no scientific evidence that a SARS-CoV-2 virus infection could have negative effects on fertility, currently the possibility that the virus could affect sperm function and egg performance cannot be excluded. Previous studies have already shown an association between influenza and infertility. SARS-CoV-2 seems to be far more aggressive in terms of severe illness, morbidity and mortality in comparison to common influenzas, thus it is reasonable to hypothesize a possible substantial effect of Covid-19 on fertility.

At the cellular level, common influenza viruses promote oxidant-sensitive pathways, leading to increased oxidative stress. This mechanism has been blamed to cause male infertility through a reduction of progressive motility in spermatozoa and a simultaneous increase in sperm DNA fragmentation. Based on this pathogenic pathway, it can be hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 could increase sperm DNA fragmentation, which might affect fertilizing potential. Along the same lines, SARS-CoV-2 may affect oocyte performance through mechanisms that increase oxidative stress.

As SARS-CoV-2 acts through the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, this was proposed as an additional pathway affecting ovaria follicles and oocytes. ACE2 receptors are expressed in human ovaries, while angiotensin has been detected in measurable amounts in the follicular fluid . Therefore, a possible negative impact of the virus through an interaction between the oocyte and the somatic cells cannot be ruled out.

The COVID-19 pandemic exerted tremendous pressure on scientists to develop safe and effective vaccines. A few delivery systems for next-generation vaccines against COVID-19 were introduced. The new-generation vaccines include only a specific antigen or antigens of the pathogen, instead of the whole pathogen, thus providing a better safety profile. While SARS-CoV-2 has four main structural proteins, the spike protein (S) which is located at the outer surface of the virus particles and can bind to ACE2 on the cell surface and causes receptor-mediated endocytosis of the virus, is the main target to evoke the self-immune system.

The mRNA vaccines represent the newest generation of vaccines in which all components can be engineered via chemical synthesis. Due to the mRNA molecules' low apparent transfection efficacy, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are often used to incorporate the mRNA molecules for transfection purposes. An additional advantage of the mRNA vaccine is that the antigen expression generated by the mRNA is a transient process and therefore the risk of host DNA integration is negligible. Furthermore, elimination of live materials poses an advantage from a quality control standpoint and allows quick product switching in manufacturing facilities. Since the process is fully-synthetic it also eliminates the risk of disease transmissions from the manufacturing facility. The effect of the systemic generation and introduction of just the S protein of the SARS-CoV-2 could have a negative influence on ovarian follicles and oocytes has not been studied yet.

Anti Mullarian Hormone (AMH) is a glycoprotein produced by the granulosa cells of the antral follicles. Its circulating levels are associated with the fertility state of the ovary and in contrast to other hormones are not influenced by the state of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, AMH levels are considered the measurement of choice for estimating ovarian reserve.

As Israel is the first country to widely vaccinate its population using the mRNA vaccines and due to all the aforementioned, the aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of the mRNA vaccines on ovarian reserve estimated by the change in AMH before and three-month following vaccination.

Material and Methods:

This is a prospective study including females that are planning to be vaccinated in Israel. Women will be asked to sign an informed consent to participate in the study while visiting the ambulatory vaccinating clinics before being vaccinated. Medical information will be collected by the research team during this visit using computerized questionnaire. Blood samples will be collected for AMH analysis before administration of the first mRNA vaccine shot. A follow up visit will be scheduled at three months after the first vaccination. During this visit, blood samples will be collected for AMH levels and for anti Covid-19 antibody levels (Serology). Additionally, women will be asked to complete a second computerized questionnaire which focused on possible adverse effects following vaccinations and gynecological well-being at 3,6 and 12 months from recruitment.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

200

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Israel
      • Ramat-Gan, Israel, 56506
        • Sheba Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

11 years to 42 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Females (age 11 to 42) that are planning to be vaccinated in Israel

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 11-42
  • No previous exposure to Covid-19 vaccine (first or second dose)
  • No known past Covid-19 infection

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Premature ovarian failure
  • Pregnancy
  • Fertility treatment
  • Past Covid-19 infection

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Case-Control
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Study Group: Women who are planning to be vaccinated
Women that are planning to be vaccinated, before receiving the first shot of the vaccine
Biological: SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccines
mRNA SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccines ( By Pfizer or Moderna)
Diagnostic test: AMH sampling
Blood sample for AMH on recruitment and after three months
Diagnostic test: anti Covid-19 antibody levels (Serology)
Blood sample for IgG against S1 protein after three months

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Delta in AMH levels
Time Frame: From first vaccination until the second AMH sampling - after three month
AMA levels on recruitment minos AMH levels after three months
From first vaccination until the second AMH sampling - after three month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sheba Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 1, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 6, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 8, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

February 10, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 22, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 19, 2023

Last Verified

June 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 8121-21-SMC

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

On request

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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