title: Recurrent herpes zoster myelitis treated with human interferon alpha: a case report.
abstract: Recurrent herpes zoster myelitis is very rare. However, a case was recently observed in our hospital. A 43-year-old woman developed myelitis 2 weeks after development of shingles. Her condition was improved by methylprednisolone. Seven months later, she developed myelitis after development of shingles again. Antibody against varicella-zoster (VZV), increased in the serum, but was negative in the cerebrospinal fluid. Methylprednisolone was not sufficiently effective against this attack. The refractory sensory disturbance was improved by human interferon alpha (IFN-alpha). Natural killer cell activity, the helper T-cell/suppressor T-cell ratio and the kappa/lambda ratio of B-cells increased with clinical improvement. In this case, delayed-type hypersensitivity after VZV infection played a role in the occurrence of myelopathy and clinical improvement resulted from the immunosuppressive effects of IFN-alpha.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Awaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Araga
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009187:Myelitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011859:Radiography; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D014740:Vidarabine