title: The Shozu Herpes Zoster (SHEZ) study: rationale, design, and description of a prospective cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence and risk factors for herpes zoster have been studied in cross-sectional and cohort studies, although most such studies have been conducted in Western countries. Evidence from Asian populations is limited, and no cohort study has been conducted in Asia. We are conducting a 3-year prospective cohort study in Shozu County in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan to determine the incidence and predictive and immunologic factors for herpes zoster among Japanese.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants are followed for 3 years, and a telephone survey is conducted every 4 weeks. The participants were assigned to 1 of 3 studies. Participants in study A gave information on past history of herpes zoster and completed health questionnaires. Study B participants additionally underwent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) skin testing, and study C participants additionally underwent blood testing. If the participants develop herpes zoster, we evaluate clinical symptoms, measure cell-mediated immunity and humoral immunity using venous blood sampling, photograph skin areas with rash, conduct virus identification testing by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation from crust sampling, and evaluate postherpetic pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We recruited 12 522 participants aged 50 years or older in Shozu County from December 2009 through November 2010. The participation rate was 65.7% of the target population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study is likely to provide valuable data on the incidence and predictive and immunologic factors for herpes zoster in a defined community-based population of Japanese.
authors.affiliation: The Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University, Kagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takao
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Fumitake
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumihashi
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gomi
authors.forename: Toyokazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okuno
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asada
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamanishi
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iso
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012107:Research Design; D012882:Skin Tests