First report of post-transplant autoimmune hepatitis recurrence following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination

Whilst vaccination for the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been successful in reducing the severity and burden of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been recent reports of mRNA vaccines triggering autoimmune hepatitis in the native liver. There have been no descriptions thus far of recurrent 'autoimmune hepatitis' after liver transplantation in the context of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. We describe a patient transplanted for autoimmune hepatitis who was stable for many years until they had immune-mediated flares coinciding with Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccination. Intravenous steroid treatment was required to suppress histologically evident interface hepatitis. We firmly believe that mRNA vaccination was responsible for this 'recurrence' and that clinicians should be vigilant for this reaction in patients transplanted for autoimmune hepatitis.

Automated summary

There have been reports of mRNA vaccines triggering autoimmune hepatitis, but there have been few reports of recurrence in liver transplant patients. We describe a case of autoimmune hepatitis patient who experienced immune-mediated flare-ups after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine, requiring steroid treatment.