A new study seeks to investigate SARS CoV-2 vaccine effects on menstruation in female adolescents using salivary bioscience with the support of Salimetrics. While the current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are considered safe and effective at preventing infection and hospitalizations, some women have reported menstrual cycle changes post-vaccination. Although incidents are low, changes in cycle length and variation in flow have been observed. “With millions of people vaccinated, physicians are interested in following any potentially harmful outcomes related to acquiring immunity to SARS CoV-2. Changes in menstrual cycles in response to immunization are certainly unanticipated by the medical community and must be studied in more detail to understand if any longer-term issues arise” says Salimetrics Chief Scientific Officer, Steve Granger, Ph.D.

The Salimetrics team will collaborate closely with Dr. Laura Payne, Ph.D., the director of McLean Hospitals Clinical and Translational Pain Research Laboratory, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and principal investigator of the study, which is part of a core set of $1.67 million in supplemental grants. In this study, researchers will measure biomarkers of inflammation, SARS COV-2 antibody levels, and the reproductive hormones progesterone and estradiol in oral fluid specimens. “Dr. Payne and her team are effectively aligned to make a significant contribution in this regard, and we are thankful to have the opportunity to help,” says Dr. Granger. Salimetrics is collaborating in an advisory role by offering insight into cytokine biology and host-immune responses to the vaccines and contributing specialized knowledge on saliva-based sampling and handling to ensure that each biospecimen returns high-integrity results. Salimetrics will also assay saliva samples in their BSL-2 saliva testing laboratory, which has experience with testing over a million saliva samples to date.

Sampling with saliva was chosen for this particular assessment due to its painless and easy to collect nature, which reduces participant burden required by more cumbersome biospecimens, such as blood sampling. With a primarily adolescent cohort, saliva sampling has been shown to further increase the willingness and compliance of individuals collecting biological samples. This is an important consideration for research studies where every sample matters.

Beyond supplying world-class products and services to increase scientific rigor and reproducibility in salivary bioscience, Salimetrics is here to help. Investigators continue to have the opportunity to support their salivary bioscience research with expert advice, as well as engage collaborators from the Salimetrics network or scientific team. “We all look forward to Dr. Payne’s findings as they will influence post-vaccination research. We welcome all studies ready to incorporate saliva as we are equipped with the knowledge and proper resource to help your study from start to finish,” says Dr. Granger. Contact Salimetrics anytime, and request help with your study.

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