Risk of herpes zoster according to past history in the general population: The Japanese Shozu herpes zoster study.

Immunity is known to persist after vaccination for varicella zoster virus, but the duration of immunity in patients who develop herpes zoster (HZ) remains unknown. To investigate the association between a past history of HZ and its occurrence in the general population. The Shozu HZ (SHEZ) cohort study included data for 12 299 individuals aged ≥50 years with information on their HZ history. Cross-sectional and 3-year follow-up studies were carried out to analyze the associations between a history of HZ (yes <10 years, yes ≥10 years, no) and the proportion of positive varicella zoster virus skin test results (erythema diameter ≥5 mm) and the risk of HZ after adjusting for potential confounding factors including age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, sleep duration, and mental stress. The incidences of positive skin test results were 87.7% (470/536) for individuals with a history of HZ <10 years ago, 82.2% (396/482) for those with a history of HZ ≥10 years, and 80.2% (3614/4509) for those with no history of HZ. The multivariable odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of erythema diameter ≥5 mm were 2.07 (1.57-2.73) and 1. 39 (1.08-1.80) for individuals with a history <10 years and ≥10 years ago, respectively, compared with no history. The corresponding multivariable hazard ratios of HZ were 0.54 (0.34-0.85) and 1.16 (0.83-1.61), respectively. A past history of HZ <10 years ago may reduce the occurrence of HZ.

Risk of Herpes Zoster in Relation to Body Mass Index Among Residents Aged ≥50 Years: The Shozu Herpes Zoster Study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of body mass index on incidence of herpes zoster is unclear. This study investigated whether body mass index was associated with a history of herpes zoster and incidence during a 3-year follow-up, using data from a prospective cohort study in Japan. METHODS: In total, 12,311 individuals were included in the cross-sectional analysis at baseline, of whom 1,818 with a history of herpes zoster were excluded from the incidence analysis, leaving 10,493 individuals. Body mass index (kg/m2) was classified into three categories (underweight: <18.5; normal: 18.5 to <25; and overweight: ≥25). To evaluate the risk of herpes zoster, we used a logistic regression model for prevalence and a Cox proportional hazard regression model for incidence. RESULTS: Being overweight or underweight was not associated with herpes zoster prevalence at baseline. The multivariate hazard ratios of herpes zoster incidence for overweight versus normal-weight groups were 0.67 (95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.90) in all participants, and 0.57 (95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.83) in women, with no significant difference for men. CONCLUSION: Being overweight was associated with a lower incidence of herpes zoster than being normal weight in older Japanese women.

Effects of Red Ginseng extract on ultraviolet B-irradiated skin change in C57BL mice.

Red Ginseng (the roots of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is used clinically in China, Korea and Japan for various diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension and stress etc. Although Red Ginseng roots have traditionally been thought to have antiageing effects, the basis for this hearsay is unclear. This study examined the effects of Red Ginseng extract on ultraviolet B (UVB)-irradiated skin ageing in mice. Oral administration of Red Ginseng extract (20 or 60 mg/kg, twice daily) prevented UVB-irradiated skin damage (increases of skin thickness and pigmentation, and reduction of skin elasticity). Furthermore, Red Ginseng extract inhibited the increases of epidermis and corium thickness induced by UVB irradiation. Red Ginseng extract inhibited the increase of skin TGF-beta1 content induced by UVB irradiation. These findings suggest that the protective action of Red Ginseng extract against UVB-irradiated skin ageing may be due partly to an inhibition of the increase of skin TGF-beta1 induced by UVB irradiation. In conclusion, the oral administration of Red Ginseng extract may be useful as a health supplement for protection against photoageing.

Effects of ginsenoside Rb1 at low doses on histamine, substance P, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 in the burn wound areas during the process of acute burn wound repair.

AIM OF THE STUDY: We reported recently that the facilitating effects of ginsenosid Rb(1) on burn wound-healing might be due to the promotion of angiogenesis. Increased histamine, substance P (SP), and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 levels caused inflammation, and pain following severe burn wound injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on the histamine, SP, and MCP-1 levels in burn wound tissue during burn wound repair. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Ginsenoside Rb1 (1 ng/wound) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) (2.5 microg/wound) significantly increased the levels of MCP-1 on day 1 compared to the MCP-1 level in vehicle-treated mice. Histamine production of the burn wound area on day 7 was increased by topical application of ginsenoside Rb1 (100 fg-1 ng/wound) and bFGF. The number of mast cells migrating to the burn wound area was also increased by ginsenoside Rb1. Conversely, the increased SP production was reduced by ginsenoside Rb1. This finding suggests that the pain induction by burn injury may be reduced by ginsenoside Rb1. The facilitating actions of ginsenoside Rb1 on burn wound healing may be due to the increase in histamine production via the increase in mast cell migration to the burn wound area induced by the rapid elevation of MCP-1.

Effects of ginseng saponins isolated from Red Ginseng roots on burn wound healing in mice.

1. We recently demonstrated that ginsenoside Rb1 (C54H92O23, molecular weight 1108) isolated from ginseng, when intravenously infused into rats with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion, reduced cerebral infarct volume and ameliorated place navigation disability of the animals, through an anti-apoptotic action and possibly promotion of vascular regeneration. To investigate the ginsenoside Rb1-mediated vascular regeneration in vivo in a more easily accessible experimental systems, we made a burn wound on the backs of mice and topically applied either Vaseline (vehicle) alone or Vaseline containing low doses of ginsenoside Rb1 to the wound. 2. Surprisingly, we found that ginsenoside Rb1 at low concentrations (100 pg g(-1), 1 pg g(-1) and 10 fg g(-1) ointment) exhibited the strongest burn wound-healing action. Furthermore, ginsenoside Rb1 (100 fg-1 ng per wound) increased neovascularization in the surrounding tissue and production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin (IL)-1beta from the burn wound, compared to those mice with burn wounds treated with vehicle alone. 3. In human keratinocyte cultures (HaCaT cells), ginsenoside Rb1 (100 fg ml(-1) to 1 ng ml(-1)) enhanced VEGF production induced by IL-1beta and expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha. 4. These findings suggest that the promotion of burn wound healing by ginsenoside Rb1 might be due to the promotion of angiogenesis during skin wound repair via the stimulation of VEGF production, through the increase of HIF-1alpha expression in keratinocytes, and due to the elevation of IL-1beta resulting from the macrophage accumulation in the burn wound.