The polymorphisms of TNF-α related-gene and antibody production following third dose of COVID-19 vaccination: A pilot study

INTRODUCTION: Vaccination is one of the most pertinent prevention strategies for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Several factors, both intrinsic (particularly genetic) and extrinsic, can influence vaccine efficacy. However, very little research has been conducted into the genetic component's impact on immunogenicity following COVID-19 vaccination. Therefore, we present the antibody formation in thirteen people who received a third vaccination (booster) dose of the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine and the differences in the polymorphism Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) related genes in this population. METHODS: Our study included 13 participants with no comorbidities or a history of COVID-19 infection. The Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA) was used to measure antibody production in serum. Polymorphism was recognized using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification technique. RESULTS: In this study, TNF-α related gene (GG) significantly influenced the formation of the antiSARS-CoV-2 spike protein IgG antibody level (p = 0.005) in our sample. CONCLUSION: Although the polymorphism of the cytokine gene, particularly TNF-α, seems to influence antibody levels in our study population, a more comprehensive analysis is required for better generalization due to the nature of our pilot study.