Background: Tophi is an important symptom of chronic gout. Objective: To assess clinical characteristics of topbi and its relationships with other manifestations of chronic gout. Subjects and method: A study was conducted in 65 patients diagnosed chronic gout based on Bennett and Wood criteria 1968, with tophi, treated at Department of Rheumatology, Bach Mai hospital, from December 2003 to June 2004. This was a retrospective, prospective, cross-sectional study. Results and conclusions: All patients were males and the average age was 57.8 \xb1 11.71 years. 72.3% of patients aged from 30 to 59 years. The average time of occurrence of tophi in chronic gout was 7.73 years. The mean number of tophi was 24.8 \xb1 9.4 (ranged from 1 to 70). Erosion of tophi occurred 25%. 92.9% of patients had distribution in inferiors limbs and 80.4% had superior limbs. There were relationships between number of tophi and renal lesions, distribution of tophi and number of painful joints.
Gout/ pathology ; therapy

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and deformity of the joints. Objectives: The study have two purposes: (1) Identify the sensitivity of anti - CCP2 antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis. (2) Identify the correlation between anti - CCP2 antibodies and clinical manifestations, laboratory features of rheumatoid arthritis. Subjects and method: The study was carried out on 70 patients with rheumatoid arthritis from March to July 2006 in rheumatology department at Bach Mai hospital. All they were diagnosed according to the criteria of American College of Rheumatology 1987. Results: Results of study showed that: (1) The sensitivity of anti - CCP2 antibodies is 67.1% (2) The sensitivity of anti - CCP2 antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is 67.1 % and is as high as the sensitivity of rheumatoid factor. In early stage of disease (the duration of disease under 12 months) the sensitivity of anti - CCP2 antibodies is higher than rheumatoid factor (70% versus 57.5%). There are no significant differences between the group having anti - CCP2 antibodies and the group who did not have anti - CCP2 anti- bodies in any stages of disease about Ritchie index, DAS - 28 index, X - rays, erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the first hour, CRP ratio. Conclusions: The sensitivity of anti - CCP2 antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is 67.1 %. There is the relation between anti - CCP2 antibodies and the severity of the inflammation and the severity of X - rays.
Arthritis ; Rheumatoid/ pathology ; epidemiology ; Antibodies/ adverse effects

Background: Hemophilia is the most common clotting disorder in the hereditary blood clotting disorders causing harm to health and psychology. The disease can lead to disability and leave the burden on families and society as well as the development of race\r\n', u"Objectives: To study the familial characteristics of haemophiliacs treated at Regional Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center of Hue Central Hospital. Subject and method: This was a prospective study. It included 48 patients diagnosed and treated Haemophilia A and B at Regional Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center of Hue Central Hospital from 7/2005 - 8/2007. Results: In 48 patients, there were 23 patients who had obviously familial history (included 12 families). They were siblings, cousins, maternal grandfathers or mother's brothers. Among 67 haemophiliacs, 23 haemophiliacs had been studied (34.32%), 30 haemophiliacs died of the disease (44.77%). Most of them died at childhood, below age of 15 years (80.64%). Conclusion: Numbers of deaths in the family was not related to the severity of the disease. The age of clinical detection, morphology, number, site, characteristics of haemorrhage as well as the level of articuar injures were not completely the same between the haemophiliacs of the same family. \r\n", u'\r\n', u'
Hemophilia A/ history ; pathology

Background: According to WHO, there are 5 million deaths from kinds of injury a year in the world, of which 875000 deaths occur in children under 18 years old. Injury leads to 40000 deaths which account for 10.7% deaths due to all other causes a year in VietNam. Objective: To show conclusions of the situation of child injury, recommendations for prevention of child injury and methods in order to enhance emergency activity in Vietnam. Subjects and method: The authors collected information about all patients who had emergencies due to injury at Viet Duc hospital, from March 26th 2006 to Octorber 26th 2006. However, supervised cases were the patients under 18 years old who were examined and treated at the Department of Emergency. Results: During the period of study, 2536 patients under 18 years old were examined for injury, of which death and coming back home for death were 83 cases (3.27%). 974 children had emergency resulted from injury: male was more than female: 697 verus 227. The leading causes of child injury were fall and traffic accident, respetively 34% and 60%. The most common traumas were traumatic brain injury (45%), limbs injury (41%). Although most of cases had first aid at the hospitals in district or province level, the rate of non-first aid cases was high (34%). Conclusion: Child injury is a leading cause of child death in hospitals. Methods for prevention of child injury should focus on educating and propagandizing to minimize injuries caused by traffic accident and fall.
Wounds and Injuries ; Child

Sphaeranthus africanus is commonly used as a traditional remedy for sore throats and pain treatment in Vietnam. The aerial parts have been studied for its anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties. However, the antioxidant and antidiabetic potential of the plant has not been explored. In this work, hydrophilic extracts of the plant's aerial parts were prepared in order to investigate its antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties. Also, the cytotoxicity of the root was evaluated and compared to that of the aerial parts. All of the extracts inhibited lipid peroxidation with IC 50 values ranging from 2.05 to 3.56 µg/mL, indicating substantial antioxidant activity. At an IC 50 value of 4.80 μg/mL, the 50% ethanol extract exhibited the most potent inhibition of α-glucosidase. The cytotoxic activity of root extracts is 2 to 5-fold less than that of the aerial parts. Nevertheless, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts of the root demonstrated a selective effect on leukemia cells, with no harm towards the normal HEK-293 cell line. This work provides a scientific support for the antioxidant and antidiabetic activity of the plant. Hence, it may find a promising material for the development of novel antioxidant and antidiabetic agents. More research can be conducted on the phytochemistry and anticancer activities of the plant’s root.

Objective:Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) is endemic in poultry in Viet Nam. The country has experienced the third highest number of human infections with influenza A(H5N1) in the world. A study in Hanoi in 2001, before the epizootic that was identified in 2003, found influenza A(H5N1) specific antibodies in 4% of poultry market workers (PMWs). We conducted a seroprevalence survey to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to influenza A(H5N1) among PMWs in Hanoi, Thaibinh and Thanhhoa provinces.Methods:We selected PMWs from five markets, interviewed them and collected blood samples. These were then tested using a horse haemagglutination inhibition assay and a microneutralization assay with all three clades of influenza A(H5N1) viruses that have circulated in Viet Nam since 2004.Results:The overall seroprevalence was 6.1% (95% confidence interval: 4.6–8.3). The highest proportion (7.2%) was found in PMWs in Hanoi, and the majority of seropositive subjects (70.3%) were slaughterers or sellers of poultry.Discussion:The continued circulation and evolution of influenza A(H5N1) requires comprehensive surveillance of both human and animal sites throughout the country with follow-up studies on PMWs to estimate the risk of avian–human transmission of influenza A(H5N1) in Viet Nam.

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) are national health burdens in Vietnam. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of rifampicin (RIF) and/or isoniazid (isonicotinic acid hydrazide, INH) resistance in patients with suspected TB, and applied appropriate techniques to help rapidly target DR-TB. Methods: In total, 1,547 clinical specimens were collected and cultured using the BACTEC MGIT system (Becton Dickinson and Co.). A resazurin microtiter assay (REMA) was used to determine the proportions of RIF and/or INH resistance. A real-time polymerase chain reaction panel with TaqMan probes was employed to identify the mutations of rpoB and katG associated with DR-TB in clinical isolates. Genotyping of the identified mutations was also performed. Results: A total of 468 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were identified using the REMA. Of these isolates, 106 (22.6%) were found to be resistant to 1 or both antibiotics. Of the resistant isolates, 74 isolates (69.8%) were resistant to isoniazid (INH) only, while 1 isolate (0.94%) was resistant to RIF only. Notably, 31 isolates (29.24%) were resistant to both antibiotics. Of the 41 phenotypically INH-resistant isolates, 19 (46.3%) had the Ser315Thr mutation. There were 8 different rpoB mutations in 22 (68.8%) of the RIF-resistant isolates. The most frequently detected mutations were at codons 531 (37.5%), 526 (18.8%), and 516 (6.3%). Conclusion To help prevent new cases of DR-TB in Vietnam, it is crucial to gain a comprehensive understanding of the genotypic DR-TB isolates.

SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7, first detected in September 2020 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, has spread quickly to many countries around the world. While some publications have described the clinical features of adult patients with the B.1.1.7 variant, little information is available on newborn patients. We report the clinical characteristics, treatment and care practices for a 21-day-old newborn patient who was confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 in Viet Nam during contact tracing after her father was confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. The patient displayed no symptoms of COVID-19 on admission but 3 days later developed diarrhoea, vomiting, a runny nose and a productive cough. These symptoms lasted for 3 days before becoming milder for 1 day and then stopping until discharge. During treatment, the patient received Vietnamese traditional herbal peppermint extracts for cough and digestive probiotics for diarrhoeal symptoms. A saltwater solution (Sterimar 0.9%) was used to clean the patient’s sinuses. The patient was cared for and fed breastmilk by her mother, who was provided with personal protective equipment, including sterilized infant equipment, medical masks and hand sanitizer, during hospitalization. The patient’s mother tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 throughout hospitalization. In conclusion, we found no severely abnormal clinical symptoms in a newborn infected with SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 during treatment. Our case suggests that newborn patients with the B.1.1.7 variant can receive exclusive breastmilk feeding if sufficient preventive measures are provided for both mother and child.

Objective: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of methyl ferulate (MF) isolated from the roots of Stemona tuberosa (S. tuberosa) Lour (Stemonaceae) in lipopolysaccharide activated macrophage cells. Methods: Methanol extracts of a root powder of S. tuberosa were prepared for isolation of a potential anti-inflammatory agent using ultrasound extraction combined with repeated chromatography on silica gel. After the quantitative analyses, anti-inflammatory activity of the isolated compound was evaluated by measurement of cytokine release, NO generation, expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and phosphorylation of mitogen activated protein kinases including p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase using quantitative kits and Western blotting with specific antibodies. Results: The isolation process yielded a potential anti-inflammatory compound with a purity level of 99% determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The compound was identified as MF by using nuclear magnetic resonance. MF strongly inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from macrophages, including IL-6, TNFα, IFNγ, yet it did not affect the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase were clearly reduced in MF-treated macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. cyclooxygenase-2 expression and NO generation by macrophages were also suppressed when the cells were treated with MF. Conclusions: The data suggested that MF is a possible inhibitor of the mitogen activated phosphor kinase pathway and could be a potential anti-inflammatory agent isolated for the first time in medicinal plant S. tuberosa.