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Treatment of herpes zoster: recombinant alpha-2a-interferon versus acyclovir and vitamin therapy. Clinical Study

B Yu1

  • 1PUMC Hospital, CAMS, Beijing.

Chinese Medical Sciences Journal = Chung-Kuo I Hsueh K'O Hsueh Tsa Chih
|March 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Recombinant interferon alpha 2a (IFN) and acyclovir (ACV) effectively reduced pain and symptom duration for herpes zoster patients compared to vitamin therapy. Both treatments showed good efficacy, with manageable side effects.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Immunology
  • Dermatology

Background:

  • Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is a viral infection that causes a painful rash.
  • Effective treatment options are crucial for managing symptoms and preventing complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy of recombinant interferon alpha 2a (IFN) against acyclovir (ACV) and vitamin therapy in treating herpes zoster.
  • To evaluate pain reduction and symptom duration in patients receiving different treatments.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 305 herpes zoster patients.
  • Patients were divided into three groups: IFN (1 million units i.n. daily for 6 days), oral ACV (200 mg five times daily for 7 days), and vitamin B12, B1, B2 therapy (conventional doses for 7-14 days).

Main Results:

  • Both IFN and ACV significantly reduced pain and shortened symptom duration compared to vitamin therapy (P < 0.01).
  • IFN treatment resulted in side effects in 20.2% of patients, including mild fever (15.7%), depressed leukocyte count, or elevated ALT levels.
  • ACV treatment had minimal side effects, with one patient reporting gastrointestinal discomfort and another experiencing lumbodynia.

Conclusions:

  • Recombinant interferon alpha 2a and acyclovir are effective treatments for herpes zoster, offering significant pain relief and symptom duration reduction.
  • IFN and ACV demonstrate superior efficacy over conventional vitamin therapy for herpes zoster management.
  • While both treatments are effective, ACV appears to have a slightly better side effect profile.

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