A recent case study from the NATON consortium presents the occurrence of a fatal cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and thrombocytopenia, resembling vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome (VITT). It was diagnosed in a three-year-old boy who developed antibodies against the chemokine Platelet Factor 4 (PF4) after an adenovirus infection. VITT is typically associated with prior SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or the administration of heparin and is characterized by elevated levels of immunoglobulins targeting PF4.
The study posits that adenoviruses may engage with PF4 through charge complementarity, leading to the formation of antibodies and an ensuing immune response that can precipitate severe thrombotic complications. Postmortem examinations of the boy revealed anti-PF4 levels comparable to those seen in VITT cases, prompting the authors to advocate for targeted testing of anti-PF4 antibodies in instances of unexplained thrombosis and thrombocytopenia.
