Altern Ther Health Med. 2024 Oct;30(10):465-471.
Herpes Zoster Neuralgia (HZN) and Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN) are neuropathic pain conditions following Varicella Zoster Virus infection. PHN primarily affects individuals aged 60 and above and the pervasive and severe neuropathic pain in PHN leads to significant emotional and psychological distress in approximately 80%-90% of patients, precipitating a decline in their overall quality of life and that of their families. Galectin-3, a pro-inflammatory factor, is implicated in inflammatory responses, potentially influencing neuronal damage and pain signal transmission.
This study aims to evaluate the clinical relevance of serum Galectin-3 in HZN and PHN patients, alongside other contributing factors.
We retrospectively analyzed data collected from 40 HZN patients, 40 non-HZN patients, and 20 healthy controls in our hospital between 2015 and 2017. Variables included demographic data, clinical characteristics, and inflammatory markers. Statistical analyses comprised t-tests, ANOVA, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression. A Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to evaluate Galectin-3's predictive value for PHN.
PHN patients showed significantly higher ages, NRS scores, and prevalence of shingles in the head and neck region compared to Non-PHN and Non-HZN groups (P < .05). Elevated levels of IL-6 (66.33±8.93 pg/mL) and Galectin-3 (2.44±0.29 ng/mL) were observed in HZN patients. Galectin-3 emerged as a significant risk factor for PHN development (P < .05), while other factors such as age, shingles location, IL-6, and T lymphocyte subsets did not show a significant impact.
Galectin-3 may serve as a predictive biomarker for PHN development, offering insights into its pathophysiology and potential therapeutic targets. Patients with elevated Galectin-3 levels might benefit from specific targeted therapies or interventions aimed at reducing Galectin-3 levels and mitigating its effects.
带状疱疹后神经痛（HZN）和疱疹后神经痛（PHN）是水痘带状疱疹病毒感染后的神经病理性疼痛疾病。PHN 主要影响 60 岁及以上的人群，PHN 普遍且严重的神经病理性疼痛导致约 80%-90%的患者出现明显的情绪和心理困扰，从而导致他们整体生活质量及其家庭生活质量下降。半乳糖凝集素-3 是一种促炎因子，参与炎症反应，可能影响神经元损伤和疼痛信号的传递。
本研究旨在评估血清半乳糖凝集素-3在 HZN 和 PHN 患者中的临床相关性，以及其他相关因素。
我们回顾性分析了 2015 年至 2017 年期间我院 40 例 HZN 患者、40 例非 HZN 患者和 20 例健康对照者的数据。变量包括人口统计学数据、临床特征和炎症标志物。统计分析包括 t 检验、方差分析、卡方检验和多变量逻辑回归。构建受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线评估半乳糖凝集素-3对 PHN 的预测价值。
PHN 患者的年龄、NRS 评分和头颈部带状疱疹发生率明显高于非 PHN 和非 HZN 组（P<0.05）。HZN 患者的 IL-6（66.33±8.93pg/mL）和半乳糖凝集素-3（2.44±0.29ng/mL）水平升高。半乳糖凝集素-3 是 PHN 发生的显著危险因素（P<0.05），而年龄、带状疱疹部位、IL-6 和 T 淋巴细胞亚群等其他因素则无显著影响。
半乳糖凝集素-3 可能是 PHN 发展的预测生物标志物，为其发病机制和潜在治疗靶点提供了新的认识。半乳糖凝集素-3 水平升高的患者可能受益于特定的靶向治疗或干预措施，以降低半乳糖凝集素-3 水平并减轻其影响。
