Study on 3 cases of Penicillium marneffei infection in AIDS patients in the hospital 103 confirmed by culturing samples from mucosa, skin lesion and blood. The results showed that the disease is rarely met in Vietnam. Penicillium marneffei, a causal agent of opportunistic infection disease, isolated from bamboo rat – Rhizomys sinensis and some other roden has been reported from South – eeastern Asia. Penicillium marneffei is predominantly in a severe form and prevails in immuno-compromised individuals. Early diagnosis is very important because of treatment will better if patients is treated by anti-Penicillium marneffei drugs in time
Patients ; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Disease

Background: Ha Vi poultry market is a concentrated and spontaneous poultry business place. Ensuring environmental hygiene is not respected.\r\n', u'Objectives: To evaluate infectious situation of airborne fungi at a poultry market\r\n', u'Subjects and methods: From 10/2006 to 9/2007 a survey on the profile of airborne fungi was carried out at the Havi poultry - market. Total fungal spores averaged at 2.753 \xb1 576 cfu/m3, the highest sample is 7.120 cfu/m3\u2022 More than 10 different fungi were isolated. \r\n', u'Results: The common fungi are Cladosporium (30.13%), Penicillium (26.86%), Aspergillus (20.97%, composed of A.niger, A fumigatus, A.jlavus, A.clavatus ...), Fusarium (8.15%), some rare fungi (Rhizopus, Rhizomucor, Mucor, Alternaria, Curvularia, Absidia, Bipolaris ... ) 13.89%. The concentration of airborne fungi at the market was higher than at distance of 300 and 1000 m. The concentrations of total fungi and of each species are affected by some meteorological factors: they were higher in the end of spring, early of summer and autumn, lowest in the winter. The concentrations of Cladosporium, Penicillium were found to be positive correlate with humidity, Aspergillus, Fusarium with temperature. \r\n', u'Conclusion: It is necessary to propose the methods that can reduce influence of airborne fungi pollution to health of people \r\n', u'
Airborne fungi ; Cladosporium ; Penicillium ; Aspergillus ; Fusarium.

Background: Herniated lumbar disc is a very common disease in the age group of 20-50 year olds the worldwide, likewise in Vietnam. There are many traditional therapies for treating this disease, such as electro-acupuncture, traditional massage, and traditional drugs... Objectives: To evaluate the effects and side-effects of combining electro-acupuncture, traditional massage, magnet-heating and lumbar traction in treating herniated lumbar disc. Subjects: 60 patients with herniated lumbar disc, over 20 years of age, were treated at the Department of Traditional Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hospital of Traditional Medicine between July 2006 and October 2007. Method: Prospective, clinical case-controlled trial. Participants were divided equally into two groups: intervention and control group. The treatment lasted for 30 days. Data was analyzed by SPSS software, version 11.5. Results: After 30 days of treatment, there were significant improvements in intervention patients about Lasegue sign, elasticity of lumbar spine, and daily movements when compared to control group. Outcomes after 30 days of treatment in the control group were 16.7% of very good, 43.3% of good, and 40% of moderate. Intervention group had better results, with 46.7% of very good, 46.7% of good, and 6.6% of moderate (p <0.01). There was not any side-effect observed in this trial. Conclusion: The combination of electro-acupuncture, traditional massage, magnet - heating and lumbar traction is a safe method and is an effective treatment for herniated lumbar disc.
Electro-acupuncture ; Traditional massage ; Magnet-heating ; lumbar traction ; Herniated lumbar disc

Background: Salmonella typhi (S.typhi) is the major cause of human typhoid fever outbreaks. In fact, there were various typhoid fever outbreaks that occurred in China, and India that was caused by S.typhi strain without Vi antigen. Objective: To determine whether the S.typhi strains with mutation of gene encoding Vi antigen exists in Vietnam and the rate of mutation (if they exists). Subject and methods: 450 S.typhi isolates were collected in the Northern, Central and Southern Region of Vietnam during 1995 and 2005. The isolates were analyzed by the PCR method in order to detect mutants by using 2 primer pairs of tviB and DE. Results and Conclusion: There was no clear evidence on the relationship between the widely used Typhi Vi vaccine in Vietnam and the existence and spread of the mutation of gene encoding Vi antigen of S.typhi. 30 out of 450 isolates mutated losing the gene encoding of Vi antigen, making it 6.67%. These isolates were spread out between 1995 and 2005 throughout the Northern, Central and Southern Regions of Vietnam, with a peak in 1999. A noteworthy point was the rate of mutation of S.typhi losing the gene encoding of Vi antigen in Vietnam during the period of study. However, the mutation rate of S.typhi in Vietnam was still higher than the ratio of similar mutations being published in the other countries worldwide and higher than the recommended level of the World Health Organization.
gene mutation ; Salmonella typhi

Background: Human Heparansulphate interacting protein (hHip) has been shown to participate in biological processes of cells. Several studies indicated that hHip transcript is up regulated in several of cancer tissues including those of thyroid, colon, breast and prostate. Antibody against hHIP is necessary for methods to evaluate protein level of HIP in cancer tissues. Objectives:The aims of study was to induce anti hHIP antibody in rabbit and purify and conserve purified anti hHIP antibody. Subjects and method: The study included 9 adult and healthy rabbits with the weight 2 - 2.5kg. Immunization hHIP peptide-KLH in rabbit. Purify anti hHIP antibody using affinity chromatography. Results: The results shown synthesize hHIP peptide and conjugate it with carrier protein. Sensitive rabbit better meet with hHIP-KLH antibody. The Ig concentration obtained in sensitive rabbit was rather high and equal. Immunization hHIP-KLH successfully in rabbit. Obtainment valuable amount of anti hHIP antibody. Conclusion: Successfully induce and purify anti hHIP antibody from rabbit. Establish a standard protocol for polyclonal antibody against small peptide in rabbit.\r\n', u'\r\n', u'
Carrier Proteins/ administration & ; dosage ; chemistry ; Rabbits

Background: Fungal keratitis is a serious ocular infection that can cause corneal scarring and blindness. Currently, diagnosis of fungal pathogens remains a difficult problem. Objectives: To investigate the application of semi-nested PCR targeted ITS genes for detection of fungal agents causing keratitis. Material and method: Ten identified fungal strains, 4 bacterial strains, 20 scraping samples from patients with suspected fungal keratitis and 2 scraping samples from patients with suspected bacterial keratitis were tested using semi-nested PCR. Results: Semi-nested PCR showed positive results for the samples of identified fungal strains and for the 20 scraping samples from patients with suspected fungal keratitis. Neither samples of bacterial strains nor scraping samples from suspected bacterial keratitis patients gave positive PCR results. Conclusion: Semi-nested PCR is a robust tool for specific and rapid detection of fungal agents causing keratitis.
Fungal keratitis ; semi-nested PCR

The emergence of Dirofilarial infections in Asia including Vietnam is a clinically significant threat to the community. We here report a rare case of subcutaneous Dirofilaria repens infection on the posterior thoracic wall in a young woman presenting a painful, itchy, and palpable nodule. The adult worm was identified by mitochondrial cox1 and nuclear ITS-2 sequence determination. The diagnosis was additionally confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing of the endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis commonly co-existing with D. repens. This is a rare case of subcutaneous human infection on the posterior thoracic region caused by D. repens.
Adult ; Animals ; Dirofilaria repens/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification/physiology ; Dirofilariasis/diagnosis/*parasitology ; Female ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Thorax/*parasitology

Background: Investment to meet the man power requirements are recognized as urgent; especially to efficiently implement the National Strategy of Preventive Medicine. To strengthen the capability of provincial preventive medicine centers, the Ministry of Health has approved Decision No 05/2006QD-BYT for functions, tasks, authorization and organizational structure of Provincial Preventive Medicine Centers (PPMCs). Objectives: The study was conducted to evaluate the manpower and organization structure of northern PPMCs and provide recommendations for policy makers. Subjects and method: Using the cross-sectional descriptive method, the study covered the preventive medicine centers of 29 northern provinces between Jan to Jun 2007. The information was collected by interviews and self-reported questionnaires. Results:23/29 PPMCs have not met the criteria of man power stated in the Circular 08/2007/TTLB-BYT-BNV. Only 9/29 PPMCs were well organized in accordance with Decision 05/2006/QD-BYT of the Ministry of Health. The average number of staffs in PPMCs was 50+15. Medical staffs accounted for 53%, out of which 21.1% had postgraduate degrees; 32.2% had graduate degrees and 23.3% had been trained in preventive care. Conclusion: To meet the requirements provided by the Decision No05/2006QD-BYT, the man power and training for staffs in PPMCs should be improved and strengthened.
Man power ; Preventive medicine.

Diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) has been widely used as an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase (Nox) to discover its function in cardiac myocytes under various stimuli. However, the effects of DPI itself on Ca2+ signaling and contraction in cardiac myocytes under control conditions have not been understood. We investigated the effects of DPI on contraction and Ca2+ signaling and their underlying mechanisms using video edge detection, confocal imaging, and whole-cell patch clamp technique in isolated rat cardiac myocytes. Application of DPI suppressed cell shortenings in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 of ≅0.17 µM) with a maximal inhibition of ~70% at ~100 µM. DPI decreased the magnitude of Ca2+ transient and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ content by 20%–30% at 3 µM that is usually used to remove the Nox activity, with no effect on fractional release. There was no significant change in the half-decay time of Ca2+ transients by DPI. The L-type Ca2+ current (ICa) was decreased concentration-dependently by DPI (IC50 of ≅40.3 µM) with ≅13.1%-inhibition at 3 µM. The frequency of Ca2+ sparks was reduced by 3 µM DPI (by ~25%), which was resistant to a brief removal of external Ca2+ and Na+. Mitochondrial superoxide level was reduced by DPI at 3–100 µM. Our data suggest that DPI may suppress L-type Ca2+ channel and RyR, thereby attenuating Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release and contractility in cardiac myocytes, and that such DPI effects may be related to mitochondrial metabolic suppression.

In this report we describe a new approach in HIV sentinel surveillance that was piloted in Viet Nam in 2009 and is currently being rolled out in all provinces. It comprises a brief behavioural questionnaire added to the HIV sentinel surveillance surveys conducted routinely among people who inject drugs, female sex workers and men who have sex with men. Timely reporting of data from this system has resulted in improvements to HIV prevention efforts for most at-risk populations.