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
Sex
FEMALE
Min age
50 Years
Max age
70 Years
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Inclusion Criteria for HZ:
* Meets HZ diagnostic criteria;
* Female, aged between 50 and 70 years;
* Disease duration ≤7 days, with no prior antiviral, analgesic, or other treatments;
* Herpetic lesions limited to the trunk, within 1 to 3 dermatomes;
* Willing to participate in the trial and has signed the informed consent form.
Inclusion Criteria for HC:
* No history of HZ or major cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, hematologic, endocrine, or neurological diseases;
* Age-matched female HC volunteers for the HZ group;
* Clear consciousness and ability to communicate normally;
* Fully understands the study protocol, demonstrates good compliance, and is willing to cooperate with the study;
* Has signed a written informed consent form.
Exclusion Criteria:
* Special types of herpes zoster, including ophthalmic, otic, visceral, meningeal herpes zoster, and zoster sine herpete;
* Women who are planning to conceive, pregnant, or breastfeeding;
* Patients with severe primary diseases of the circulatory, respiratory, or endocrine systems, or systemic failure;
* Patients with bleeding tendencies;
* Use of corticosteroids or immunosuppressants within the past month.
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)
Facility
City
Region
Status
The Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital
Hangzhou
Zhejiang
Recruiting
More First People's Hospital of Hangzhou trials in China
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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