The Shozu Herpes Zoster (SHEZ) Study: Rationale, Design, and Description of a Prospective Cohort Study

Overview

Journal J Epidemiol

Specialty Public Health

Date 2012 Feb 21

PMID 22343323

Citations 5

Authors

Yukiko Takao

Yoshiyuki Miyazaki

Fumitake Onishi

Hideaki Kumihashi

Yasuyuki Gomi

Toyokazu Ishikawa

Yoshinobu Okuno

Yasuko Mori

Hideo Asada

Koichi Yamanishi

Hiroyasu Iso

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The incidence and risk factors for herpes zoster have been studied in cross-sectional and cohort studies, although most such studies have been conducted in Western countries. Evidence from Asian populations is limited, and no cohort study has been conducted in Asia. We are conducting a 3-year prospective cohort study in Shozu County in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan to determine the incidence and predictive and immunologic factors for herpes zoster among Japanese.

Methods: The participants are followed for 3 years, and a telephone survey is conducted every 4 weeks. The participants were assigned to 1 of 3 studies. Participants in study A gave information on past history of herpes zoster and completed health questionnaires. Study B participants additionally underwent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) skin testing, and study C participants additionally underwent blood testing. If the participants develop herpes zoster, we evaluate clinical symptoms, measure cell-mediated immunity and humoral immunity using venous blood sampling, photograph skin areas with rash, conduct virus identification testing by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation from crust sampling, and evaluate postherpetic pain.

Results: We recruited 12 522 participants aged 50 years or older in Shozu County from December 2009 through November 2010. The participation rate was 65.7% of the target population.

Conclusions: The present study is likely to provide valuable data on the incidence and predictive and immunologic factors for herpes zoster in a defined community-based population of Japanese.

Citing Articles

The association of family history of herpes zoster and the risk of incident herpes zoster: the SHEZ Study.

Kinumaki K, Imano H, Takao Y, Okuno Y, Mori Y, Asada H Environ Health Prev Med. 2022; 27:22.

PMID: 35644539 PMC: 9251617. DOI: 10.1265/ehpm.21-00020.

Varicella-zoster virus-associated meningitis, encephalitis, and myelitis with sporadic skin blisters: A case report.

Takami K, Kenzaka T, Kumabe A, Fukuzawa M, Eto Y, Nakata S World J Clin Cases. 2022; 10(2):717-724.

PMID: 35097099 PMC: 8771392. DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i2.717.

Association of cigarette smoking with a past history and incidence of herpes zoster in the general Japanese population: the SHEZ Study.

Ban J, Takao Y, Okuno Y, Mori Y, Asada H, Yamanishi K Epidemiol Infect. 2017; 145(6):1270-1275.

PMID: 28091339 PMC: 9507831. DOI: 10.1017/S0950268816003174.

Incidences of Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia in Japanese Adults Aged 50 Years and Older From a Community-based Prospective Cohort Study: The SHEZ Study.

Takao Y, Miyazaki Y, Okeda M, Onishi F, Yano S, Gomi Y J Epidemiol. 2015; 25(10):617-25.

PMID: 26399445 PMC: 4626391. DOI: 10.2188/jea.JE20140210.

Assessment of skin test with varicella-zoster virus antigen for predicting the risk of herpes zoster.

Okuno Y, Takao Y, Miyazaki Y, Ohnishi F, Okeda M, Yano S Epidemiol Infect. 2012; 141(4):706-13.

PMID: 23218021 PMC: 9151859. DOI: 10.1017/S0950268812002671.

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