PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Anita Badbaran
AU  - Reiner Mailer
AU  - Christine Dahlke
AU  - Jannis Woens
AU  - Anahita Fathi
AU  - Sibylle C. Mellinghoff
AU  - Thomas Renné
AU  - Marylyn M. Addo
AU  - Kristoffer Riecken
AU  - Boris Fehse
TI  - Digital PCR to quantify ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 copies in blood and tissues
AID  - 10.1101/2021.05.28.446155
DP  - 2021 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 2021.05.28.446155
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/05/28/2021.05.28.446155.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/05/28/2021.05.28.446155.full
AB  - Vaccination with the adenoviral-vector based Astra Zeneca ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccine is efficient and safe. However, in rare cases vaccinated individuals developed life-threatening thrombotic complications, including thrombosis in cerebral sinus and splanchnic veins. Monitoring of the applied vector in vivo represents an important precondition to study the molecular mechanisms underlying vaccine-driven adverse effects now referred to as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). We previously have shown that digital PCR is an excellent tool to quantify transgene copies in vivo. Here we present a highly sensitive digital PCR for in-situ quantification of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 copies. Using this method, we quantified vector copies in human serum 24, 72 and 168 hours post vaccination, and in a variety of murine tissues in an experimental vaccination model 30 minutes post injection. We describe a method for high-sensitivity quantitative detection of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 with possible implications to elucidate the mechanisms of severe ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccine complications.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.