title: Major histocompatibility complex haplotype is associated with postherpetic pain in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postherpetic neuralgia is one of the major complications of herpes zoster caused by the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus and is characterized by severe pain. The authors previously showed the association of a human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotype with postherpetic neuralgia. This study was performed to experimentally confirm the role of MHC haplotype in the development of postherpetic pain using a mouse model of postherpetic pain, which corresponds to postherpetic neuralgia.
  
  
  METHODS
  BALB/c mice (MHC haplotype: H-2), C57BL/6 mice (MHC haplotype: H-2), and BALB/b mice, a congenic BALB/c strain with H-2, were used. Herpes simplex virus type I was transdermally inoculated on the hind paw. Unilaterally zosteriform skin lesion and pain-related responses (acute herpetic pain) were caused, and some mice showed pain-related responses (postherpetic pain) after the cure of skin lesions. Herpes simplex virus type I antigen and CD3-positive cells were immunostained in the dorsal root ganglion in the acute phase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence (78%) of postherpetic pain in C57BL/6 mice was significantly higher than that (35%) in BALB/c mice (P = 0.004, odds ratio = 6.7). Furthermore, the incidence of postherpetic pain in BALB/b (H-2) was similar to that in C57BL/6. Herpes simplex virus type I antigen-positive cells were less in the dorsal root ganglion of C57BL/6 mice than that of BALB/c mice. CD3-positive T cells were more in the dorsal root ganglion of C57BL/6 mice than BALB/c mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the MHC haplotype (H-2) is involved in the incidence of postherpetic pain, and CD3-positive T cells may play a role in its pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. masakost@tg7.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato-Takeda
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takasaki
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Tsugunobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Andoh
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nojima
authors.forename: Kimiyasu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiraki
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuraishi
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanaoka
authors.forename: Katsushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006239:Haplotypes; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017252:CD3 Complex