T Lymphocyte Subsets Profile and Toll-Like Receptors Responses in Patients with Herpes Zoster

Humoral Cytokine Levels in Patients with Herpes Zoster: A Meta-Analysis

Background

The neurocutaneous disease caused by the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is called herpes zoster (HZ). The virus remains in the spinal cord back root after the chickenpox disappears. Diminished immune function can reactivate VZV, causing severe neuropathic pain that can last for months or even years, leading to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which severely affects the patient's quality of life. Much literature compares various cytokine levels in the body fluids HZ and PHN patients; however, no studies comprehensively evaluate them.

Methods

The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, and Medline were screened for studies on cytokine levels in body fluids of HZ and PHN patients in the English language. Healthy individuals were selected as the control group, and the standardized mean difference (SMD) between the case and control groups was imputed using a fixed-effects or random-effects model and expressed as a 95% confidence interval (CI). The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess article quality.

Results

This meta-analysis included 13 articles with 1373 participants. Compared with the control group, the HZ group had significantly higher levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-10, Hcy, and C-reactive protein (CRP), whereas the levels of CD3+ T and CD4+ T lymphocytes were reduced. Additionally, PHN patients had significantly higher levels of IL-6 and IL-1β compared with the control group.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis provides compelling evidence that CRP, Hcy, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 are associated with the genesis and development of HZ and PHN. These markers can be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.Furthermore, for making the results more convincing, it is necessary to harmonize sample acquisition techniques and analytical methods and also require larger, more rigorously designed studies with broader subgroups and sex/age-matched controls.

Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis of Research Articles on Post-Herpetic Neuralgia and Varicella-Zoster Virus: A 20-Year Review(2003-2022)

Objective

Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a debilitating condition that has garnered considerable attention from pain physicians due to its association with the or Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV). In this study, we aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis to quantitatively assess the research outcomes related to PHN and VZV over the past two decades (2003-2022).

Methods

We conducted a bibliometric analysis by querying the Web of Science database for articles related to PHN published from 2003 to 2022. In this analysis, we collected relevant information from the database including the number of publications, publication year, source, country, institution, and citation data.

Results

A total of 1073 publications were extracted from the database, with 387 articles (36.1%) being authored by individuals from the United States, making it the leading country in terms of article publications. The top ten institutions that made significant contributions to research on PHN and VZV were primarily concentrated within the United States. Notably, the New England Journal of Medicine and Pain claimed the two highest positions in terms of citation count, with 2482 and 1591 citations, respectively. The topics covered in these articles mainly revolved around "Postherpetic Neuralgia", "Herpes Zoster", "Epidemiology", "Vaccine", and "Quality-of-life".

Conclusion

Over the past two decades, there has been a gradual increase in publications on PHN and VZV, demonstrating significant advancements in academic achievements. Vaccines have proven effective in reducing PHN incidence among the elderly, but there is a lack of research on interventional treatments and underlying mechanisms. To elevate evidence-based medicine, researchers should conduct more controlled clinical trials. Additionally, leveraging pathogenesis research findings can lead to the development of better pain relief medications.