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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Virology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1506659

Sociodemographic factors and comorbidities are associated with an elevated risk of herpes simplex keratitis: A population-based study in Taiwan

Provisionally accepted
Ren-Long Jan Ren-Long Jan 1Chung-Han Ho Chung-Han Ho 2Jhi-Joung Wang Jhi-Joung Wang 2Han-Yi Jan Han-Yi Jan 3Jiun-Yi Chen Jiun-Yi Chen 4Yuh-Shin Chang Yuh-Shin Chang 2,5*
  • 1 Department of Pediatrics, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
  • 2 Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
  • 3 Tzu Chi University, Hualien City, Taiwan
  • 4 National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Hsinchu County, Taiwan
  • 5 Department of Ophthalmology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    To investigate the association among comorbidities, sociodemographic factors, and herpes simplex keratitis (HSK). This nationwide, population-based, retrospective, matched case-control study included 27,651 patients with HSK identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code 054.42 for dendritic keratitis and 054.43 for herpes simplex disciform keratitis. The age-, sex-, and index date-matched control group included 27,651 non-HSK individuals selected from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. Associations between HSK, sociodemographic conditions, and comorbidities were examined using univariate logistic regression analyses, and paired t-tests were used for continuous variables. Adjusted logistic regression was used to compare odds ratios (OR) for HSK development. Patients with corneal abrasion were more likely to develop HSK than controls (OR, 402.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 167.47-968.79; P < 0.0001) even after conditional logistic regression (adjusted OR, 407.36; 95% CI,; P < 0.0001). Other conditions that increase the odds of HSK development include systemic diseases such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, chronic renal disease, and human immunodeficiency virus infection. Regarding sociodemographic factors, >50% of patients with HSK were aged ≥55 years. Moreover, patients living in Northern Taiwan and metropolitan cities had higher odds of developing HSK. HSK is significantly associated with corneal abrasion, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, chronic renal disease, and human immunodeficiency virus infection.

    Keywords: Herpes simplex keratitis, Case-controlled study, sociodemographic factors, Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database, Epidemiology

    Received: 07 Oct 2024; Accepted: 25 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Jan, Ho, Wang, Jan, Chen and Chang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Yuh-Shin Chang, Department of Ophthalmology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan

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