This study was done in 2004. Subgenotypes of HIV were determined by DNA sequencing technique at 3 gene regions of HIV-l: envelope, protease and reverse transcriptase. Our results showed that the recombinant virus CRFOI AlE was still predominant (98%) in Ho Chi Minh city. A new recombinant form HIV-l of subtype B and CRFOIAIE was also detected. The presence of a new recombinant form of HIV-1 derived from two different subtypes warns that the HIV epidemic in this region is more and more complex with the immigration and co-infection with different genetic subtypes of HIV.
HIV-1 ; DNA

Authors reported a case of bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis. Diagnosis is based on CT scan images of urinary system, or urography, and ultrasound of urinary system. This disease is a serious infection with high rate of death, usually occurs in diabetic patients, or in advanced stage. Treatment options are based on classifications according to CT scan, usually drainage of pus in pelvis renalis and bladder, and using antibiotics according to antibiogram. In unpreservable case, nephrectomy is applied. Healing is depended on severity and needs 1-5 years of follow-up.
Pyelonephritis ; Case Reports ; Diagnosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Background: Angiomyolipoma (AML) is a benign renal neoplasm. Patients were often hospitalized in two situations: Renal AML unilateral or AML with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Objectives: To discover prospectively the clinical symptoms and evaluate the therapeutic of 5 renal angiomyolipoma unilateral operated in Viet Duc and Huu Nghi hospital from 2004 January to 2006 April. Subject and Methods: The record of 3 men and 2 women with a mean age of 46.2 years (maximum: 86, minimum: 32); flank pain: 3 patients, heamaturia: 2 patients. The mean lesion diameter was 7.9cm (minimum: 5.4 cm, maximum: 12cm). The mean follow up was 6.6 months. Result: All of the patients symptomatic with a mean giant diameter (7.9cm). One patient was operated on urgently, because of a tumor rupture post-traumatism. Two patients were operated on as diagnostic doubt. Conclusion: Renal angiomyolipomas are almost benign. Total nephrectomy on the size of tumor, their complications and the special conditions.
Angiomyolipoma

Background: Urinary bladder sarcomas are rare in adults, accounting for 0.38-0.64% of bladder tumors. The most recognized treatment for malignant tumors is chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy, but there have been no large scale study to provide a definitive regimen for this condition. Objectives: To determine the outcome of patients with urinary bladder sarcomas. Subjects and method: Between January 2002 and December 2006, 6 patients diagnosed with urinary bladder sarcomas were examined at the Viet Duc Hospital. We retrospectively reviewed the records of these patients for information on clinical features, treatment and outcomes. Results: The mean age of patients was 39.6 years; male/female ratio was 3/1; 66% was leiomyosarcomas, 16.7% was rhabdomyosarcomas, 16.7% was myxosarcomas (n=6). Among these malignant tumors, 3/5 patients were in the advanced stage. Conclusion: Bladder sarcomas were rare in adults. Leiomyosarcomas were more common than rhabdomyosarcomas and had worst outcomes if it is in an advanced stage.
Bladder sarcoma ; Surgery

Background: Heparansulfate Interacting Protein (HIP) is up-regulated in various human cancer cell lines at both transcript and protein levels. HIP expression is related to the differentiation status and cancer development. Objectives: To determine HIP in benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostate cancer tissues. Materials and method: Western blot method was used to determine HIP expression in 3 different types of prostate tissue, including 11 prostate cancer samples, 2 benign prostatic hyperplasia samples and 11 prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia samples. Results. HIP was particularly up-regulated in prostate cancer and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, indicating that up-regulation of HIP expression may be an early event in tumorgenesis. Conclusion: The expression of HIP was different between cancer, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia tissue and benign prostatic hyperplasia. HIP may serve as a prognostic marker for prostate carcinoma.
HIP expression ; Prostate cancer ; Prostatic hyperplasia.

Background: Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) is a common disease in developing countries. Morbidity and mortality of ARI are high, especially among children under 15 years old. Objectives: To describe socio-graphic factors, seasonal patterns, risky areas and determine the morbidity and mortality rates of acute respiratory infections in Thai Binh province. Subjects and method: This retrospective study reviewed the medical records of 4,585 hospital admitted patients who were diagnosed with ARI including upper and lower respiratory infections such as sore throat, pharyngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia and bronchitis-pneumonia at 8 district hospitals and 1 provincial hospital in Thai Binh province during 2002-2005. The selected medical records were based on the available check list and two standard screening tests. Results:Morbidity and mortality of ARI in Thai Binh province were 61.6 and 0.52, respectively. ARI mainly occurred among children under 5 years old, of which the highest mortality was among those under 12 months of age. Male children were at higher risk of acquiring ARI, but less prone to death than female. Occupation did not significantly associate with the risk of ARI. The morbidity increased sharply during inter-season, e.g. March and October. Thai Binh city, Kien Xuong and Tien Hai district were reported with the highest morbidity in accompany of the high mortality as consequences. Conclusion: The prevention and control methods were recommended to annually focus on the male children aged less than 5 years old during March and October in Thai Binh city, Kien Xuong and Tien Hai district.
morbidity ; mortality ; acute respiratory infections

Background: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is more common in children than adults and involves many organs. In children, the BRAF V600E mutation is associated with recurrent and high-risk LCH. Methods: We collected paraffin blocks of 94 pediatric LCH patients to detect BRAF V600E mutation by sequencing. The relationship between BRAF V600E status and clinicopathological parameters were also critically analyzed. Results: BRAF V600E mutation exon 15 was detected in 45 cases (47.9%). Multiple systems LCH showed a significantly higher BRAF V600E mutation rate than a single system (p=.001). No statistical significance was evident for other clinical characteristics such as age, sex, location, risk organs involvement, and CD1a expression. Conclusions In Vietnamese LCH children, the proportion of BRAF V600E mutational status was relatively high and related to multiple systems.

Background: With the development of HIV/AIDS pandemic in community, amount of HIV/AIDS people more and more increase in prison. Objectives: Determine the rate of HIV/AIDS infection of prisoners at Binh Dien prison. Learning about related elements to HIV/AIDS infection. Subjects and method: Prisoners at Binh Dien prison. Method: 492 prisoners were chosen, interviewed directly and taken blood samples to HIV test. Using cross-sectional study on accidental samples. Techniques were used in this study: SERODIA-HIV and ELISA technique. Results: The rate of current HIV/AIDS infections was 21,74%, some HIV/AIDS related factors in the prison included sex, religion, income source, marrital status, common knowledge of HIV/AIDS, drug addiction history, needle sharing, sexually transmitted disease history, body tatoos and forskin inserted with metal balls, alcohol and beer drinking history, some factors such as: age and educational level were not associated with HIV/AIDS infection in prison. Conclusion: Strengthen interventional activities in prison to prevent HIV/AIDS spread between prisoners. To prisoners who were not infected HIV/AIDS: strengthen educational communication to they may prevent themselves from HIV/AIDS infection behaviors. To HIV/AIDS prisoners: Need to educate and consult especially to they have right behaviors, prevent HIV/AIDS spread for the others while they were in prison as well as they return to society.
HIV Infections/ blood ; complications ; epidemiology ;

BACKGROUND: In the view of the epidemic growth of sensitization to indoor allergens in Southern Vietnam, there is a requirement to screen large population. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate skin prick tests (SPTs) as predictors of positive specific IgE (sIgE) to dust allergens, among patients with chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs). METHODS: The sensitization to Blomia tropicalis (Blo t), Dermatophagoides pteronissinus (Der p), and Blattella germanica allergens (Bla g) were evaluated among 610 CRD, both SPT (≥4 mm) and sIgE by immuno-CAP (≥0.7 kUA/L). RESULTS: Based on sIgE, 45%, 32%, and 33% of patients with CRD were sensitized to Blo t, Der p, and Bla g, respectively, compared to 19%, 18%, and 13% by SPT. The association between SPT and sIgE was statistically significant, though the Kappa factor was fair (i.e., 0.39 to 0.23). While the specificity of SPT to detect sensitization (compared to sIgE) was >90% among the whole population, the sensitivity was only 34%, 41%, and 24% for Bo t, Der p, and Bla g, suggesting that SPT was not enough sensitive to screen the indoor allergen sensitization. Though, among the < 10 pack-year (PY) smokers, the sensitivity was 43% for Blo t, 52% for Der p, and 61% for Blo t and/or Der p, compared to 27%, 30%, and 35% among the ≥10 PY smokers. The sensitivity/specificity was not associated with the diagnosis of asthma compared to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. CONCLUSION: In the present circumstance, SPT to dust mites allergens can be used to detect a sensitization among CRD population in Southern Vietnam.
Allergens ; Asthma ; Diagnosis ; Dust ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Mites ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Pyroglyphidae ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin Tests ; Skin ; Vietnam

In the present study, bioactivity-guided extraction and isolation of the n-hexane fraction of the fruits of Vietnamese Schisandra sphenanthera led to the isolation of five dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans as gomisin N (1), schisandrin C (2), gomisin H (3), gomisin D (4), and gomisin C (5). All the isolates were tested for their inhibition of NO production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Among them, compounds 4 and 5 showed weak inhibition of NO production with IC 50 values of 25.0 ± 1.6 and 24.8 ± 2.0 µM, respectively. Compound 1 exhibited NO production inhibition with an IC 50 value of 15.8 ± 2.1 µM, meanwhile, schisandrin C (2) showed the most potent inhibition with an IC 50 value of 8.5 ± 0.5 µM. In addition, compound 2 had a concentrationdependent inhibitory effect on the protein expression of the inflammatory enzymes iNOS and COX-2. Their physicochemical properties and ADMET data were predicted by in silico, indicating favorable drug-like properties as well as low acute oral toxicity. The results suggest that the fruit of S. sphenanthera and its phytochemical constituents might be used as anti-inflammatory agents.