Immunological analysis of axillary lymph node tissue post vaccination
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Immunohistological analysis of axillary core lymph node biopsies from patients with vaccination-induced lymphadenopathy
IRAS ID
355037
Contact name
Ruth Payne
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study aims to explore changes in the lymph nodes found under the arm (axilla) following vaccination for COVID-19, using samples that were collected from patients presenting to the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals breast clinic for investigation who were found to have enlarged lymph nodes on scans. The lymph nodes in this area drain the area infiltrated by intramuscular injection when vaccinations are given, and are commonly found to be enlarged following a vaccine, especially those which induce a robust inflammatory response such as mRNA vaccines.
The study team will receive pseudo-anonymised samples of lymph node tissue from the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Histopathology laboratory for patients identified to have had an axillary lymph node biopsy following a COVID-19 vaccination between July 2021 and December 2021. Patients with a breast cancer diagnosis will be excluded. Up to 10 patients will be identified and sections of tissue will be provided to the research team on slides. These will be analysed using labelled antibodies to identify specific types of immune cells, and examine the quality of definition of the lymph node structure. Further analysis will be carried out with collaborators at the University of Oxford using a multiplex platform (Cell DIVE), which allows a large number of antibodies to be used, and therefore a more detailed evaluation of the activity within the lymph node to be analysed.REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NW/0124
Date of REC Opinion
16 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion