ArticleClinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil)2013
Chloroquine diphosphate: a risk factor for herpes zoster in patients with dermatomyositis/polymyositis.
Article in Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- The toxic effects of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine on skeletal muscle: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2021Pooled it
- Drug repositioning as a promising approach for the eradication of emerging and re-emerging viral agents.Molecular diversity · 2025Review
- Is Hydroxychloroquine Useful for the Treatment of Cutaneous Manifestations of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies? A Systematic Review.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Increased Risk of Herpes Zoster Following Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.Medicine · 2015Observational
- Chloroquine paradox may cause more damage than help fight COVID-19.Microbes and infectionArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesHerpes zoster has been widely described in the context of different systemic autoimmune diseases but not dermatomyositis/polymyositis. Therefore, we analyzed the prevalence, risk factors and herpes zoster outcomes in this population.
methodA retrospective cohort study of herpes zoster infections in dermatomyositis/polymyositis patients was performed. The patients were followed at a tertiary center from 1991 to 2012. For the control group, each patient with herpes zoster was paired with two patients without herpes zoster. Patients were matched by gender and the type of myositis, age at myositis onset and disease duration.
resultsOf 230 patients, 24 (10.4%) had a histories of herpes zoster (19 with dermatomyositis and five with polymyositis, two-thirds female). The mean age of the patients with herpes zoster was 44.6±16.8 years. No difference between the groups was found regarding cumulative clinical manifestations. Disease activity, autoantibody, muscle and leukogram parameters were also comparable between the groups. No differences in immunosuppressive (alone or in association with other immunosuppressive therapies) or glucocorticoid (current use, medium dose and cumulative dose in the last two months) therapies were found between patients with and without herpes zoster. However, a higher proportion of patients in the herpes zoster group received chloroquine diphosphate compared to the control group. All of the patients received acyclovir; 58.3% of patients had postherpetic neuralgia and no cases of recurrence were reported. Furthermore, individuals who were taking high prednisone doses at the time of the herpes zoster diagnosis had reduced levels of postherpetic neuralgia.
conclusionsThese data suggest that chloroquine diphosphate could predispose patients with dermatomyositis/polymyositis to developing herpes zoster, particularly women and dermatomyositis patients.
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