Objective  To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors of the incidence of herpes zoster after renal transplantation.

  Methods  Clinical data of 830 recipients undergoing renal transplantation for the first time in the Organ Transplantation Research Institute of the 309th Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army from March 2009 to March 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors of the incidence of herpes zoster after renal transplantation.

  Results  Among 830 patients, 42 (5.1%) suffered from herpes zoster postoperatively. Clinical manifestations of herpes zoster mainly included varicella-zoster rash in the head, face, trunk and limbs. No patient died from herpes zoster. Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) was the most common complication of herpes zoster. Univariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that advanced age and adrenal cortical hormone (hormone) shock therapy could increase the risk of herpes zoster viral infection after renal transplantation (OR=2.414, P=0.016; OR=2.936, P=0.003). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that advanced age and hormone shock therapy were the independent risk factor of the incidence of herpes zoster following renal transplantation (OR=2.238, P=0.030; OR=2.755, P=0.005).

  Conclusions  Herpes zoster after renal transplantation is clinically manifested with varicella-zoster rash. Advanced age and hormone shock therapy are the independent risk factor of the incidence of herpes zoster after renal transplantation.