Background/Aims: Finite nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) therapy has been proposed as an alternative treatment strategy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), but biomarkers for post-treatment monitoring are limited. We investigated whether measuring hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) after NA cessation may stratify the risk of subsequent clinical relapse (CR). Methods: This retrospective multicenter analysis enrolled adults with CHB who were prospectively monitored after discontinuing entecavir or tenofovir with negative HBeAg and undetectable HBV DNA at the end of treatment (EOT). Patients with cirrhosis or malignancy were excluded. CR was defined as serum alanine aminotransferase > two times the upper limit of normal with recurrent viremia. We applied time-dependent Cox proportional hazard models to clarify the association between HBcrAg levels and subsequent CR. Results: The cohort included 203 patients (median age, 49.8 years; 76.8% male; 60.6% entecavir) who had been treated for a median of 36.9 months (interquartile range [IQR], 36.5–40.1). During a median post-treatment follow-up of 31.7 months (IQR, 16.7–67.1), CR occurred in 104 patients with a 5-year cumulative incidence of 54.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 47.1–62.4%). Time-varying HBcrAg level was a significant risk factor for subsequent CR (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.53 per log U/mL; 95% CI, 1.12–2.08) with adjustment for EOT HBsAg, EOT anti-HBe, EOT HBcrAg and time-varying HBsAg. During follow-up, HBcrAg <1,000 U/mL predicted a lower risk of CR (aHR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.21–0.81). Conclusions Dynamic measurement of HBcrAg after NA cessation is predictive of subsequent CR and may be useful to guide post-treatment monitoring.

Background: and Purpose To examine the clinical and safety outcomes after endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) with different anesthetic modalities. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis using data from the Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion (ATTENTION) registry. Patients were divided into two groups defined by anesthetic modality performed during EVT: general anesthesia (GA) or non-general anesthesia (non-GA). The association between anesthetic management and clinical outcomes was evaluated in a propensity score matched (PSM) cohort and an inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) cohort to adjust for imbalances between the two groups. Results: Our analytic sample included 1,672 patients from 48 centers. The anesthetic modality was GA in 769 (46.0%) and non-GA in 903 (54.0%) patients. In our primary analysis with the PSM-based cohort, non-GA was comparable to GA concerning the primary outcome (adjusted common odds ratio [acOR], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 1.25; P=0.91). Mortality at 90 days was 38.4% in the GA group and 35.8% in the non-GA group (adjusted risk ratio, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.08; P=0.44). In our secondary analysis with the IPTW-based cohort, the anesthetic modality was significantly associated with the distribution of modified Rankin Scale at 90 days (acOR: 1.45 [95% CI: 1.20 to 1.75]). Conclusion In this nationally-representative observational study, acute ischemic stroke patients due to BAO undergoing EVT without GA had similar clinical and safety outcomes compared with patients treated with GA. These findings provide the basis for large-scale randomized controlled trials to test whether anesthetic management provides meaningful clinical effects for patients undergoing EVT.

Background: and Purpose Recent studies suggested an increased incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We evaluated the volume of CVT hospitalization and in-hospital mortality during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the preceding year. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of 171 stroke centers from 49 countries. We recorded COVID-19 admission volumes, CVT hospitalization, and CVT in-hospital mortality from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2021. CVT diagnoses were identified by International Classification of Disease-10 (ICD-10) codes or stroke databases. We additionally sought to compare the same metrics in the first 5 months of 2021 compared to the corresponding months in 2019 and 2020 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04934020). Results: There were 2,313 CVT admissions across the 1-year pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic year (2020); no differences in CVT volume or CVT mortality were observed. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT volumes compared to 2019 (27.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.2 to 32.0; P<0.0001) and 2020 (41.4%; 95% CI, 37.0 to 46.0; P<0.0001). A COVID-19 diagnosis was present in 7.6% (132/1,738) of CVT hospitalizations. CVT was present in 0.04% (103/292,080) of COVID-19 hospitalizations. During the first pandemic year, CVT mortality was higher in patients who were COVID positive compared to COVID negative patients (8/53 [15.0%] vs. 41/910 [4.5%], P=0.004). There was an increase in CVT mortality during the first 5 months of pandemic years 2020 and 2021 compared to the first 5 months of the pre-pandemic year 2019 (2019 vs. 2020: 2.26% vs. 4.74%, P=0.05; 2019 vs. 2021: 2.26% vs. 4.99%, P=0.03). In the first 5 months of 2021, there were 26 cases of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), resulting in six deaths. Conclusions During the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic, CVT hospitalization volume and CVT in-hospital mortality did not change compared to the prior year. COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with higher CVT in-hospital mortality. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT hospitalization volume and increase in CVT-related mortality, partially attributable to VITT.

Animals ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Blotting, Western ; Classical swine fever virus ; Classical Swine Fever ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genotype ; Mortality ; Spleen ; Swine ; Vaccines ; Vaccines, Subunit ; Vietnam ; Virulence

The robust capacity of skeletal muscle stem cells (SkMSCs, or satellite cells) to regenerate into new muscles in vivo has offered promising therapeutic options for the treatment of degenerative muscle diseases. However, the practical use of SkMSCs to treat muscle diseases is limited, owing to their inability to expand in vitro under defined cultivation conditions without loss of engraftment efficiency. To develop an optimal cultivation condition for SkMSCs, we investigated the behavior of SkMSCs on synthetic maltose-binding protein (MBP)-fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2)-immobilized matrix in vitro. We found that the chemically well-defined, xeno-free MBP-FGF2-immobilized matrix effectively supports SkMSC growth without reducing their differentiation potential in vitro. Our data highlights the possible application of the MBP-FGF2 matrix for SkMSC expansion in vitro.
In Vitro Techniques ; Maltose-Binding Proteins ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Stem Cells

OBJECTIVE Currently discussing the clinical treatment of pulmonary fibrosis commonly used drugs astragalus main active ingredient astragalosideⅣ(ASTⅣ)in vitro after transforming growth factor-β1 induced lung adenocarcinoma A549 epithelial cells after epithelial cell interstitial Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition(EMT). METHODS The effect of astragalosideIV on the proliferation of A549 cells was detected by MTT assay for the first time.No significant effect of astragaloside on the prolifera-tion of A549 cells was found in the range of 1.25-20 μmol/L. A549 cells in vitro were divided into 5 groups: normal group, control group, low, medium and high experimental groups, which were treated for 72 hours,and the morphological changes of cells in each group were observed by light microscope. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blotting were performed. Detection of gene and protein expression levels. RESULTS The results of real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the quantitative analysis of high-dose astragalosideⅣin the experimental group was lower than that of the control group in the α-SMA analysis,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The dose of AstragalosideⅣ in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group in the E-Cad analysis,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Western Blot results showed that the expression of α-SMA antibody in the high-dose and low-dose experimental group was lower than that in the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The high-dose experimental group had a significantly higher expression of E-Cad antibody than the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). CONCLUSION This study uses A549 epithelial cells as a model, A549 cells were modeled and confirmed that Astragaloside can effectively inhibit TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)and provide a new basis for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: According to statistical data of the Vietnam Ministry of Health, there were 124,223 people with positive HIV, 23,661 AIDS patients and 13,649 AIDS- related deaths up to April 30th 2007. The major transmission route is injection. Objectives: (1) To compare the characteristics of drug use in users with different time. (2) To describe the health issues and health service access of young male drug users. Subjects and method: A cross-sectional survey was carried out using a combination of medical anthropology and epidemiology methods. 1.115 young male drug users in Ha Noi between September 2004 and September 2005 were divided into 4 groups of the equivalence number, but with different drug using history. Results and conclusion: The newer drug users (within 2 years) started using drug later than the older ones, more of them started using by injecting; they transfer from smoking/sniffing to injecting as well as trying and using more different types of drugs together in shorter time than others. The proportion of HIV (+) infection in these people was higher, which states the necessity of intervention to help them enhance their knowledge to prevent HIV infection amongst themselves. Mental health care is also needed for drug users, the demand for mental health care increases with the time of drug usage.
young male heroin users

Background: Impaired synthesis of adrenal hormones because of steroid 21 - hydroxylase deficiency is one of the common inborn errors of metabolism. The disease is caused by mutations in CYP21 gene and inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.Objectives: This study aims to detect some mutations in CYP21 gene as well as study the relationship between genotype - phenotype and the carriers in patients' family. Subjects and method:43 patients with classic 21 - hydroxylase deficiency and 10 patients' parents were analysed CYP21 gene by using PCR techniques with specific primer pairs. The data was collected and analysed by EpiInfo 6.04 and other common medical statistic method. Results:Among 43 children patients of congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, the rate between male and female was equavalent. The most frequent mutation causing steroid 21 - hydroxylase deficiency was deletion 8bp of exon 3. Then, was splicing site mutation of intron 2. The mutation of exon 1 (Pr030Leu) was also detected. About genotype - phenotype relationship, nearly all deletions 8bp (80%) and 12 splicing mutations (87.5%) were associated with salt - wasting phenotype. Conclusion: Parents were the carriers corresponding to the autosomal recessive rule.
Adrenal Hyperplasia ; Congenital/ diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Steroid 21-Hydroxylase/ diagnostic use

Background: The combination medical between army and pepople in protection, healthcare for people and army in the whole country was a great policy of The Party and State. Objectives: Evaluate result of combination between armed forces in epidemic control and preventive medicine programs at mountainous and coastal areas of Thua Thien Hue in 2006. Studying knowledge, attitude, practice of army medical officers and men canvassed masses about epidemic control and preventive medicine programs. Subjects and method: Officers, men, army medical officers in 41 communes (28 coastal communes and 13 mountainous communes) of 5 district have combination medical between army and pepople. Using epidemiology method to description, analysis, cross-sectional study. Results: In 2006, home-flies spraying was carried out in 18 out of 20 markets; 1,030 all size restaurants and 18 residential areas of 5 districts. The number of chemically treated latrines in high epidemic areas was accounted fof 15,1%. A population-based latrine construction project was initiated to build 838 new latrines, contributing to minimize the invironmental pollution. 9,17% of waterwells and water tanks were hygienically treated; 11,434 people used clean water source; and 46,436 people washed their hands with soap. Studying knowledge, attitude, practice on preventive medicine programs of army medical officers showed very good results. Conclusion: The combination medical between army and pepople in preventive medicine, epidemic control gave wide efficiency for mountainous and coastal communes of Thua Thien Hue. It actively supported for Health station of 28 coastal communes and 13 mountainous communes in preventive medicine work.
Community Health Services/ ethics ; manpower ; Health Knowledge ; Attitudes ; Practice ;

Background: At present, management and supervision on food safety and hygiene quality have many difficulties because supervisory system from province to district, commune is still insufficient. Objectives: Assessment on food safety and hygiene situation at Thua Thien Hue province, propose solutions to intensify State management on food safety and hygiene quality and step by step enhance efficiency of food safety and hygiene activities in the next years. Subjects and method: Food processing establishments at Thua Thien Hue province. Method: Inspection in Action months for food safety and hygiene, supervision usually on food processing establishments were chosen accidentally in area. Food samples were inspected indexes of microorganisms, physicochemical have met the criteria of Ministry of Health. Results: The proportion of food processing establishments and cafeterias which have not met the regulations on food safety and hygiene was decreasing from 40,93% to 27,45%. Also in 2002-2006, 36,71% of kitchen utensils and the cooks\ufffd?hands failed to meet the regulations. Regarding to microorganisms, the indices of ice-cream, bean sweet porridge and soft drinks had improved remarkably. The index of ice had been decreased from 33,02% to 22,56%. 45,25% of bowls and plates didn\u2019t meet chemical and physical criteria. 68,4% of food colourings didn\u2019t meet criteria because inorganic and industrial colourings were used. Traditional foods still contain borax although the prevalence is decreasing from 65% to 35%. Ice cream and bean sweet porridge cooked with saccharine were 37,34%. Conclusion: Understanding of producers and consumers about food have still many limitations.
Food Safety/ methods ;