Electroacupuncture Regulation of Immune Cells in Herpes Zoster

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Drug: 1\) Valacyclovir Hydrochloride tablets, 0.3 g per dose, twice daily; 2) Mecobalamin tablets, 0.5 mg, three times daily. Taken continuously for 7 days.The affected skin is kept clean and protected to maintain lesion integrity.

Electroacupuncture: Electroacupuncture Treatment: Needling acupoints include the Jiaji points corresponding to the spinal nerve segment of the affected area, Ashi acupoints along the affected zone, and bilateral Hegu and Waiguan points. Electroacupuncture will be performed once daily for 30 minutes per session, with a total of 7 consecutive sessions. The Jiaji and Ashi acupoints will be connected to an electroacupuncture device, set to disperse-dense wave stimulation at a frequency of 2/100 Hz, with current intensity adjusted to the patient's tolerance level.

Study summary

Herpes Zoster (HZ), caused by the Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV), is a common infection characterized by localized pain and blistering, with higher incidence in females. HZ affects patients' physical health, mental well-being, and quality of life. The immune system is critical in HZ pathogenesis. Studies show acupuncture relieves pain, modulates immunity, and may lower postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) risk. However, evidence is limited on whether electroacupuncture (EA) alleviates HZ by modulating immune cells. Using mass cytometry (CyTOF), this study will analyze peripheral immune cell changes pre- and post-EA to explore its regulatory effects on HZ immunity. This study will recruit HZ patients and healthy controls (HC), dividing patients into medication-only and medication+EA groups to assess EA's potential immunomodulatory effects in HZ treatment.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Peripheral blood immune cell levels — Before (Day 0), during (Day 4) and after (Day 7) treatment.
  1\. Custom Detection Panel: A 42-color detection panel is specifically designed according to the study objectives and target cell subpopulations. 2. Sample Collection and Processing: Peripheral blood (5 ml) is collected from patients into EDTA purple-top anticoagulant tubes, stored/transported at 4°C, and processed within 48 hours using Ficoll to isolate the PBMC layer, yielding a single-cell suspension of PBMCs. PBMCs can be cryopreserved for batch analysis or processed fresh for immediate analysis. 3. Staining and Analysis: Samples are stained and analyzed over two days. Surface antibodies are stained on the first day, followed by membrane permeabilization and intracellular antibody staining on the second day, before proceeding with CyTOF analysis.

Trial sites (1)

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