Objective:To analyze pain factors and changes in humoral immunity in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted involving 120 patients with herpes zoster (HZ) admitted to Xi'an Daxing Hospital from February 2022 to February 2024. Among these patients, 60 who developed PHN symptoms within 3 months after recovering from HZ were designated as the complication group, while 60 who did not develop PHN symptoms after recovering from HZ were designated as the simple group. Additionally, 60 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examinations during the same period were included as the healthy group. Both the combination and simple groups received treatment for 1 month. Pain mediators [β-endorphin (β-EP), substance P (SP), serotonin (5-HT), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and neurosecretory protein VGF], inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)], immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM), and T cell subsets (CD 3+, CD 4+, CD 8+, and CD 4+/CD 8+) were collected and compared among the three groups. Results:There were significant differences in the levels of β-EP, SP, 5-HT, CGRP, and VGF among the three groups ( F = 377.44, 988.37, 699.86, 800.74, 1421.88, all P < 0.05). The serum levels of TNF-α [(199.62 ± 21.13) μg/L and (194.61 ± 20.73) μg/L], IL-6 [(77.08 ± 12.91) μg/L and (58.70 ± 12.38) μg/L], and IFN-γ [(54.27 ± 6.21) mg/L and (29.17 ± 4.55) mg/L] in the complication and simple groups were significantly higher than those in the healthy group [(92.13 ± 11.54) μg/L, (46.13 ± 10.23) μg/L, and (12.58 ± 1.75) μg/L, all P < 0.05]. Additionally, the levels of IgA, IgG, IgM, and complement proteins (C3, C4) also showed statistically significant differences among the three groups ( F = 454.20, 237.78, 182.90, 33.11, 275.26, all P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in cellular immunity levels between the simple and complication groups ( P > 0.05). However, the levels of T cell subsets (CD 3+, CD 4+, CD 8+) in both the simple and complication groups were lower than those in the healthy group, while the CD 4+/CD 8+ ratios were significantly higher in both the simple and complication groups compared to the healthy group (all P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the serum level of β-EP was significantly negatively correlated with the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ, IgA, IgG, IgM, C3, and C4 (all P < 0.05). In contrast, the serum levels of SP, 5-HT, CGRP, and VGF were significantly positively correlated with the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ, IgA, IgG, IgM, C3, and C4 (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The pain factors β-EP, SP, 5-HT, CGRP, and VGF, as well as the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-γ, play important roles in the occurrence and persistence of neuropathic pain in patients with postherpetic neuralgia. The levels of immunoglobulins and T cell subsets in these patients serve as important indicators for analyzing changes in humoral immunity.

Objective:To analyze pain factors and changes in humoral immunity in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted involving 120 patients with herpes zoster (HZ) admitted to Xi'an Daxing Hospital from February 2022 to February 2024. Among these patients, 60 who developed PHN symptoms within 3 months after recovering from HZ were designated as the complication group, while 60 who did not develop PHN symptoms after recovering from HZ were designated as the simple group. Additionally, 60 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examinations during the same period were included as the healthy group. Both the combination and simple groups received treatment for 1 month. Pain mediators [β-endorphin (β-EP), substance P (SP), serotonin (5-HT), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and neurosecretory protein VGF], inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)], immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM), and T cell subsets (CD 3+, CD 4+, CD 8+, and CD 4+/CD 8+) were collected and compared among the three groups. Results:There were significant differences in the levels of β-EP, SP, 5-HT, CGRP, and VGF among the three groups ( F = 377.44, 988.37, 699.86, 800.74, 1421.88, all P < 0.05). The serum levels of TNF-α [(199.62 ± 21.13) μg/L and (194.61 ± 20.73) μg/L], IL-6 [(77.08 ± 12.91) μg/L and (58.70 ± 12.38) μg/L], and IFN-γ [(54.27 ± 6.21) mg/L and (29.17 ± 4.55) mg/L] in the complication and simple groups were significantly higher than those in the healthy group [(92.13 ± 11.54) μg/L, (46.13 ± 10.23) μg/L, and (12.58 ± 1.75) μg/L, all P < 0.05]. Additionally, the levels of IgA, IgG, IgM, and complement proteins (C3, C4) also showed statistically significant differences among the three groups ( F = 454.20, 237.78, 182.90, 33.11, 275.26, all P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in cellular immunity levels between the simple and complication groups ( P > 0.05). However, the levels of T cell subsets (CD 3+, CD 4+, CD 8+) in both the simple and complication groups were lower than those in the healthy group, while the CD 4+/CD 8+ ratios were significantly higher in both the simple and complication groups compared to the healthy group (all P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the serum level of β-EP was significantly negatively correlated with the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ, IgA, IgG, IgM, C3, and C4 (all P < 0.05). In contrast, the serum levels of SP, 5-HT, CGRP, and VGF were significantly positively correlated with the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ, IgA, IgG, IgM, C3, and C4 (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The pain factors β-EP, SP, 5-HT, CGRP, and VGF, as well as the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-γ, play important roles in the occurrence and persistence of neuropathic pain in patients with postherpetic neuralgia. The levels of immunoglobulins and T cell subsets in these patients serve as important indicators for analyzing changes in humoral immunity.