Influence of thyroid hormone disruption on the incidence of shingles

Abstract

SUMMARY The reactivation of dormant alpha-Human Herpes Virus (αHHV) has been attributed to various causes often referred to as stressors. However, no clinical study investigating the relationship between stressors and reactivation exists in humans at this time. Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (HSV-1), an important αHHV, was shown to have its gene expression and replication regulated by Thyroid hormone (TH) using molecular biology approaches. Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) is categorized in αHHV superfamily and shares similar homology with HSV-1. We hypothesize that a history of TH imbalance may be associated with the incidence of shingles (VZV reactivation). This current pilot study, based on a hospital medical claim database, was conducted as a retrospective case-controlled investigation to determine if a putative link between TH imbalance and incidence of shingles is present. An OR of 2.95 with a Chi-square of 51.74 was calculated for the total population diagnosed with TH disruption and shingles. Further analyses indicated that African American males exhibited much higher chance of simultaneous diagnoses. These results showed that a TH imbalance history may affect VZV reactivation at different incidence rates in different races and age groups.

Receipt of thyroid hormone deficiency treatment and risk of herpes zoster

“…Common risk factors that may increase the chance of causing shingles are shown as being older than 50, having a weakened immune system due to diabetes or HIV infection, suffering stress or trauma, or undergoing cancer treatment, etc. 3–7 The relationship of thyroid hormone disruption and the pathophysiology of shingles were mentioned but not well-studied 8 .…”

New insights on thyroid hormone mediated regulation of herpesvirus infections

“…To test this hypothesis our lab has studied the effect of thyroid hormone treatments on HSV-1 infections using different models. In addition, our lab has reported results from two retrospective clinical data analyses where patients with thyroid hormone complications increased the odds ratio of having herpes virus reactivation [3, 4]. The first study identified that several specific age/gender hospitalized patient groups at a comprehensive research medical center in urban Taiwan, with thyroid disorders were 2 times more likely to also have a αHHV [4].…”

“…The first study identified that several specific age/gender hospitalized patient groups at a comprehensive research medical center in urban Taiwan, with thyroid disorders were 2 times more likely to also have a αHHV [4]. The second study identified that hospitalized patients at a regional hospital in rural Maryland with thyroid disorders were 3 times more likely to have VZV diagnoses [3]. To understand these clinical observations, our lab studies cellular thyroid hormone action in regards to transcriptional regulation and signal transduction and have found that both mechanisms might be affecting HSV-1 infections.…”

“…In a parallel we have tested the ability of T 3 to repress the VZV nucleotide kinase (VZV-PK) in transfection experiments. Similarly, to transfection experiments with HSV-1 TK, VZV-PK promoter activity is also repressed by T 3 treatment [3]. …”

Overexpression of thyroid hormone receptor β1 altered thyroid hormone-mediated regulation of herpes simplex virus-1 replication in differentiated cells

“…Thyroid hormonal (T 3 ) fluctuation was recently proposed to play a role in regulating HSV-1 replication in neurons [26-29]. It exerts its physiological and biological functions primarily through its nuclear receptor thyroid hormone receptor (TR) [30].…”