Background: quality of food hygiene and safety directly affected public health. In Vietnam, after 5 years implementing the programs on ensure food safety, the aspects of food safety had improved significantly; food poisoning had been gradually controlled but still high. Objectives: to access on food poisoning outbreak in first six months of 2006 in Vietnam. Subjectives and Method: a cross sectional and retrospective study on food poisoning outbreak in first six months of 2006. The studied subjectives including: health staffs of provincial preventive centre, staffs in charge of food safety work; documents of food poisoning were stored in VFA. Results: there were 204 outbreaks in 58 provinces with 4.198 victims and 44 deaths or the mortality rate was 1.05%. By causes, percentages of outbreaks, cases and deaths due to bacterial pathogens were 41.7%, 53.4% and 0.0% respectively; due to chemical contamination: 12.7%, 13.0% and 4.5%; due to food denature: 9.3%, 17.2% and 11.4%; and due to natural toxicants: 34.8%, 15.2% and 81.4%, respectively. The number of deaths was highest in North-east and North-west areas (35 cases), in North and South Central coast (5 cases), and in Mekong river data (4 cases). Similarly, the mortality rates in these three regions were 5.0%, 0.49% and 0.27%, respectively. Conclusions: here were 204 outbreaks in 58 provinces with 4.198 victims and 44 deaths. Causes due to bacterial pathogens were the highest, followed by due to natural toxicants. The number of deaths was highest in North-highland.
Foodborne Diseases/epidemiology ;

The study was carried out in an endemic area of tsutsugamushi disease, Taketa city, Japan, from January to December, 2000. Results: 1018 unengorged larvaes of 14 species were isolated from soil and ground surface by direct method and Suzuki method. Among them Helenicula miyagawai was isolated by only the Suzuki method. Leptotrombidium scutellare and l.pallidum suspected as vectors of tsutsugamushi disease in many areas of Japan were detected in this study. The seasonal occurrence of unengorged larvae of L.scutellare was from October to January with the probable peak in November. While L.pallidum occur almost throughout the year with two peak periods, one in May and the other in September.
Scrub Typhus ; Trombiculidae

The study applied the Nested PCR technique with part of 56kilodalton type-specific antigen (TSA) gene DNAs of Orientia tsutsugamushi. Forty-eight pools (480 individuals) of unengorged larvae belonging to 4 trombiculid species: L. scutellare, L. pallidum, L. kistasatoi and L. fuji, collected from soil and ground surface of an endemic area for tsutsugamushi disease, were tested for 56kilodalton type-specific antigen (TSA) gene DNAs of Orientia tsutsugamushi, by nested PCR. Among them, 2 of 13 pools of L. scutellare were positive, and 2 serotypes of Kuroki and Gilliam were identified. Remaining 35 pools of 3 species were negative for Orientia tsutsugamushi. By using epidemiological' analysis, unengorged larvae of L. scutellare was suspected as the vector of tsutsu-gamushi disease in the studied area.
Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Scrub Typhus ; Epidemiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Orientia tsutsugamushi is causative agent of tsutsugamushi disease, they parasitize in mites and is transmited from mother mite to other generation through egg (vertical transmission). In addition, they is transmited from this mite strain to other mite strain (horizontal transmission), this enssure large distribution of Orientia tsutsugamushi in mite community. However, this phenomenon rarely occure in nature. Orientia tsutsugamushi transmit to human through the bite of mites due to some of mite strains
Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Disease Vectors

Objective To study the clinical diagnosis value and CT features of gastric fundus and cardiac part lesions.Methods The CT findings and examining method of gastric fundus and cardiac part lesions were analyzed and summarized in 64 cases.Results (1)Use water as oral contrast can show the gastric mucosa clearly,it was a simple,effective way.(2)CT had important significance for stages and infiltration of cardiac cancer.(3)Varix of gastric fundus had three types:pseudotumor,tuber and thinking-wall.(4)The CT characteristic features of leiomyoma were the continuous linear enhancement in mucosa.Conclusion CT is method for gastrointestinal examining,it has special value to the gastric fundus and cardiac part lesions.

Objective To evaluate abdominal imaging in AIDS.Methods The imaging examinations(including US,CT and MR)of 6 patients with AIDS associated abdominal foci were analysed retrospectively.All the cases were performed US,and CT scan,of which 4 performed enhanced CT scan and 1 with MR.Results Abdominal tuberculosis were found in 4 patients,including abdominal lymph nodes tuberculosis(3 cases)and pancreatic tuberculosis(1 case).The imaging of lymph nodes tuberculosis typically showed enlarged peripheral rim enhancement with central low-attenuation on contrast-enhanced CT. Pancreatic tuberculosis demonstrated low-attenuation area in pancreatic head and slightly peripheral enhancement.Disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma was seen in 1 case:CT and MRI scan demonstrated tumour infiltrated along hepatic portal vein and bronchovascular bundles.Pelvic tumor was observed in 1 case:CT scan showed large mass with thick and irregular wall and central low attenuation liquefacient necrotic area in the pelvic cavity.Conclusion The imaging findings of AIDS with abdominal foci is extraordinarily helpful to the diagnosis of such disease.Tissue biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of isoliensinine (IL) on CYP3A enzyme activity.

METHODSA mixture metabolic system of liver microsome enzymes in vitro was developed. A HPLC method to test the metabolic activity of CYP3A was established with testosterone as a probe. The activities of CYP3A enzymes were measured with different IL concentrations and incubation time with testosterone.

RESULTSIn mixture metabolic system of liver microsome enzymes, the best incubation concentration of testosterone was 200 μmol/L, the best incubation time was 210 min, in this condition the IC₅₀ of IL for CYP3A inhibition was >1 000 μmol/L.

CONCLUSIONNo significant interaction between IL and CYP3A is detected, which indicates that IL might be used with CYP 3A enzyme substrates.

Animals ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ; metabolism ; In Vitro Techniques ; Isoquinolines ; pharmacology ; Male ; Microsomes, Liver ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testosterone ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo explore the inhibitory effects of Niaoluqing, an oral liquid of traditional Chinese medicine, on the growth of urogenital chlamydia trachomatis (Ct).

METHODSNiaoluqing's applying concentration was 1 g/ml and 10 serologically untyped strains of Ct from the STD clinic were used. And the inhibitory effects of Niaoluqing on Ct was evaluated by McCoy cell microculture technique in vitro.

RESULTSNiaoluqing had inhibitory activity for urogenital Ct, and was capable of reducing inclusion numbers notably in the concentrations of 50 to 200 mg/ml. The number and volume of Ct inclusions reduced gradually and disappeared finally with the rising of the medicinal concentration.

CONCLUSIONThe traditional Chinese medicine Niaoluqing has inhibitory effects on the growth of urogenital Ct.

Chlamydia trachomatis ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Urogenital System ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the regulatory effect of procyanidins (PC) on the expressions of Th1 type cytokines (IFN-gamma and IL-12) and the transcription factor T-bet mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) in patients with alopecia areata (AA).

METHODSAbove-mentioned expressions were detected using RT-PCR technique in 20 AA patients (8 of mild and 12 of severe degree) and 10 healthy subjects after phytoaemagglutinin (PHA) or PHA + PC stimulation.

RESULTSAfter being stimulated by PHA and PHA + PC, in patients with severe AA, the expression of T-bet mRNA was 0.581 +/- 0.148 and 0.419 +/- 0.113 respectively; that of IFN-gamma mRNA, 0.689 +/- 0.219 and 0.430 +/- 0.162; and that of IL-12 mRNA, 0.198 +/- 0.056 and 0.136 +/- 0.035, respectively. As compared with those before stimulation, the respective difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPC can inhibit the expressions of Th1 type cytokines and transcription factor T-bet in PBMC of severe AA patients, and reverse the Th1 responses. The authors offered that it maybe part of the acting mechanism of pine needle for treatment of AA.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Alopecia Areata ; drug therapy ; genetics ; immunology ; Case-Control Studies ; Cells, Cultured ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; genetics ; immunology ; Interleukin-12 ; genetics ; immunology ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; drug effects ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proanthocyanidins ; administration & dosage ; T-Box Domain Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDHIV is a neurotropic virus which can cause brain white matter demyelination, gliosis, and other pathological changes that appear as HIV encephalitis or AIDS dementia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of the diffused condition of water molecules in brain white matter in early acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients using MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

METHODSDTI examinations were performed on a Siemens 3.0T MR scanner in 23 AIDS patients with normal brain appearance by conventional MRI and 20 healthy volunteers as the control group. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured in nine regions; corpus callosum (CC) knee, CC body, CC splenium, periventricular white matter, frontal lobe white matter, parietal lobe white matter, occipital lobe white matter, and the anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule. The mean FA and ADC values from each region were compared in three groups: the symptomatic, asymptomatic and the control.

RESULTSThe mean FA values were significantly lower and the mean ADC values were significantly higher in all nine regions in patients in the symptomatic group than in the asymptomatic and control group patients. In the asymptomatic group, the mean FA values were significantly lower and the mean ADC values were significantly higher at the CC knee, CC body, CC splenium, periventricular white matter, frontal lobe white matter and parietal lobe white matter, than in the control group. There were no significant differences at other regions between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe diffused changes of water molecules in brain white matter in AIDS patients are related to brain white matter regions. DTI examination can detect the brain white matter lesions early in AIDS patients.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; pathology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Brain ; pathology ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged