Meidi Wang, Yanrong Yuan, Jun Wang, Yongxing Yan, Huiqin Yu
{"title":"Immune Dysregulation in Acute Herpes Zoster: Predictive Factors for Postherpetic Neuralgia.","authors":"Meidi Wang, Yanrong Yuan, Jun Wang, Yongxing Yan, Huiqin Yu","doi":"10.12659/MSM.944688","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is closely related to the host immune response. This study explored the cellular and humoral immune functions of acute immunocompetent herpes zoster (HZ) patients and their relationship with PHN. MATERIAL AND METHODS We selected 188 patients with acute HZ admitted to our hospital and 79 individuals who underwent physical examinations during the same period. We measured and compared the levels of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+, CD19+, CD56+), serum immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM), and complement (C3, C4) between the 2 groups. Based on whether they had neuralgia during follow-up, we divided the patients into an HZ-PHN group and an HZ-control group, and compared their differences in immune functions and their relationship with PHN. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the levels of CD3+ and CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ ratios of HZ patients were significantly lower (P<0.05). Among 188 HZ patients, 91 (48.4%) developed PHN. The patients in the HZ-PHN group were significantly older (P<0.01) and the levels of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ ratios were significantly lower than those in the HZ-control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that age and CD4+/CD8+ ratios are independent risk factors for determining whether HZ patients develop PHN. CONCLUSIONS Acute immunocompetent HZ patients, especially those who are older and more prone to developing PHN, exhibit significant cellular immune dysregulation. Age and CD4+/CD8+ ratios may be useful predictors of PHN in acute HZ patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":48888,"journal":{"name":"Medical Science Monitor","volume":"31 ","pages":"e944688"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Medical Science Monitor","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.944688","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"Medicine","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is closely related to the host immune response. This study explored the cellular and humoral immune functions of acute immunocompetent herpes zoster (HZ) patients and their relationship with PHN. MATERIAL AND METHODS We selected 188 patients with acute HZ admitted to our hospital and 79 individuals who underwent physical examinations during the same period. We measured and compared the levels of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+, CD19+, CD56+), serum immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM), and complement (C3, C4) between the 2 groups. Based on whether they had neuralgia during follow-up, we divided the patients into an HZ-PHN group and an HZ-control group, and compared their differences in immune functions and their relationship with PHN. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the levels of CD3+ and CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ ratios of HZ patients were significantly lower (P<0.05). Among 188 HZ patients, 91 (48.4%) developed PHN. The patients in the HZ-PHN group were significantly older (P<0.01) and the levels of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ ratios were significantly lower than those in the HZ-control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that age and CD4+/CD8+ ratios are independent risk factors for determining whether HZ patients develop PHN. CONCLUSIONS Acute immunocompetent HZ patients, especially those who are older and more prone to developing PHN, exhibit significant cellular immune dysregulation. Age and CD4+/CD8+ ratios may be useful predictors of PHN in acute HZ patients.
期刊介绍:
Medical Science Monitor (MSM) established in 1995 is an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal which publishes original articles in Clinical Medicine and related disciplines such as Epidemiology and Population Studies, Product Investigations, Development of Laboratory Techniques :: Diagnostics and Medical Technology which enable presentation of research or review works in overlapping areas of medicine and technology such us (but not limited to): medical diagnostics, medical imaging systems, computer simulation of health and disease processes, new medical devices, etc. Reviews and Special Reports - papers may be accepted on the basis that they provide a systematic, critical and up-to-date overview of literature pertaining to research or clinical topics. Meta-analyses are considered as reviews. A special attention will be paid to a teaching value of a review paper.
Medical Science Monitor is internationally indexed in Thomson-Reuters Web of Science, Journals Citation Report (JCR), Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI), Index Medicus MEDLINE, PubMed, PMC, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Chemical Abstracts CAS and Index Copernicus.