The impact of personalized nutritional intake on serum inflammation, immune markers, and recovery time in patients with herpes zoster

AIM: Herpes zoster (shingles) is a painful viral infection caused by the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus, often leading to prolonged recovery and postherpetic neuralgia. Although antiviral treatments are standard, adjunctive strategies such as personalized nutrition may modulate immune and inflammatory responses, potentially improving outcomes. This retrospective study evaluated the effects of personalized dietary interventions on serum inflammatory and immune markers, recovery time, pain, and quality of life in patients with herpes zoster. Notably, the two treatment arms had unequal sample sizes due to non-randomized assignment in routine clinical practice and adherence-based exclusions; the imbalance was analytically addressed using statistical tests robust to unequal group sizes, and baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated 258 herpes zoster patients at our hospital from April 2019 to April 2023, divided into Standard Diet (n = 136) and Personalized Diet (n = 122) groups. Personalized interventions were based on biological markers, medical history, and lifestyle factors. Key outcomes included changes in serum inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, CRP, IgM, IgA), recovery time metrics, pain levels (VAS score), and quality of life (SF-36). RESULTS: The Personalized Diet Group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in serum IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, and CRP levels compared to the Standard Diet Group (P < 0.05). Recovery times for vesicle cessation, pain relief, crusting, and overall healing were significantly shorter in the personalized group (P < 0.05). Additionally, personalized dietary interventions were associated with greater improvements in VAS pain scores and quality of life measures, particularly in mental health, social functioning, and role-emotional scores. Anxiety and depression scores (SAS and SDS) improved more significantly in the personalized group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Personalized nutritional dietary recommendations signifcicantly improve inflammatory and immune responses, accelerate recovery, and enhance quality of life in herpes zoster patients.