Background: Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease, the second leading cause of disability for the elderly after cardiovascular disease. Treatment with traditional medicine is highly effective, has safety in the long run and has few side effects. Beside, herbal steaming is a simple, easy-to-implement treatment method that works quickly and can be widely applied in the community. Objectves: To evaluate treatment effects of electro-acupuncture and San-bi-tang remedy combined with herbal steam in patients of primary knee osteoarthritis. Subjects and Methods: Clinical trial with comparison before and after treatment, from August 2019 to May 2020, on 58 patients diagnosed with primary knee OA according to the standards of the American Society of Rheumatology (ACR), X -ray phase I, II according to Kellgren & Lawrence, Wind Cold Damp clinical forms or Wind Cold Damp together with Liver and kidney damage clinical forms according to traditional medicine. Patients were assessed clinically, subclinical, and VAS scale, Lequesne index, WOMAC index, heel-buttock index, Rank of Motion (ROM) at baseline and after 9 days (D9), 18 days (D18). Results: Mean VAS score decreased to 1.60 ± 1.32 points (compared with 6.26 ± 1.00 points at D0; 3.98 ± 1.36 points at D9), the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Lequesne index decreased significantly at the time D18, D9 compared with the time D0, at the time of D18 Lequesne average point was 5.01 ± 2.10 (p < 0.05). WOMAC index: After 18 days of treatment, there was no patient with severe or moderate dysfunction. Patients distributed at non-dysfunctional levels 53.45% and mild dysfunction 46.55% (p < 0.05). The range of movement of the knee joint after treatment increased significantly, the average range of movement of the joint at the time of D18 was 129.410 ± 6.470 (p < 0.05). The heel-buttock index decreased significantly: before treatment, the average heel-buttock index was 18.24 ± 6.07 (cm), and after treatment was 8.95 ± 5.33 (cm). There was an improvement in the color, tongue shape, thinness of tongue moss, nocturia symptoms, back pain after treatment (p < 0.05). Overall results: 53.45% good; 44.83% fair; 1.72% average and no poor level (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The electro-acupuncture and San-bi-tang remedy combined with herbal steam in patients of primary knee osteoarthritis is a safe treatment, effectively reducing pain and improving motor function significantly.

Trombiculid “chigger” mites (Acari) are ectoparasites that feed blood on rodents and another animals. A crosssectional survey was conducted in 7 ecosystems of southern Vietnam from 2015 to 2016. Chigger mites were identified with morphological characteristics and assayed by polymerase chain reaction for detection of rickettsiaceae. Overall chigger infestation among rodents was 23.38%. The chigger index among infested rodents was 19.37 and a mean abundance of 4.61. A total of 2,770 chigger mites were identified belonging to 6 species, 3 genera, and 1 family, and pooled into 141 pools (10-20 chiggers per pool). Two pools (1.4%) of the chiggers were positive for Orientia tsutsugamushi. Ricketsia spp. was not detected in any pools of chiggers. Further studies are needed including a larger number and diverse hosts, and environmental factors to assess scrub typhus.

BACKGROUND: In Vietnam, we observed a high incidence of carbamazepine (CBZ)-induced severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs)-Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug-induced hypersensitivity rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). In other Asian countries, HLA-B*1502 is an established risk factor for SCARs. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of HLA-B*1502 in SCARs patients at a large University Medical Center in Hanoi, Vietnam. METHODS: Thirty-eight cases of SCARs caused by CBZ and 25 patients with epilepsy tolerating CBZ were enrolled in a case-controlled study. Clinical manifestations and laboratory findings were recorded for each subject. Genomic DNA was isolated using the QIAamp DNA purification system. The combination of polymerase chain reaction and sequence specific oligonucleotide probes with the Luminex 100×MAP flow cytometry dual laser system was then used to quantitate fluorescently labelled oligonucleotides attached to colour-coded microbeads. RESULTS: Cases comprised 20 SJS (52.6%), 7 TEN (18.4%), 8 overlap syndrome (21.1%), and 3 DRESS patients (7.9%). A strong association between HLA B*1502 and bullous skin reactions such as SJS/TEN and overlap was confirmed with an odds ratio (OR) of 33.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.55-151.03), p < 0.0001, Sensitivity 91.4%, Specificity 76.0%, positive predictive value 84.2%, and negative predictive value 86.4%. We did not, however, observe any correlation between the presence of this allele and CBZ-induced nonbullous skin reactions (DRESS) (OR, 6.33; 95% CI, 0.48-82.74; p = 0.1592). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate the presence of HLA-B*1502 in Vietnamese is a pharmacogenetic risk factor for developing CBZ-induced SJS/TEN.
Academic Medical Centers ; Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Carbamazepine ; Case-Control Studies ; Cicatrix ; DNA ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Eosinophilia ; Epilepsy ; Exanthema ; Flow Cytometry ; HLA-B Antigens ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Incidence ; Microspheres ; Odds Ratio ; Oligonucleotide Probes ; Oligonucleotides ; Pharmacogenetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin ; Vietnam

Background: Periostin (PN) concentration increases in the blood of patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and affects the process of cardiac remodelling leading to myocardial fibrosis. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between serum PN levels with cardiac function and short-term prognosis (after 3 months of AMI) in patients with non-ST-elevation AMI. Methods: Case-control study, 3-month follow-up. 35 patients with AMI and 37 healthy people were chosen as the control group. In the group of patients, serum PN was obtained from day 5 - 7 of the disease. The correlation between PN and TIMI, GRACE scores, body mass index (BMI), laboratory findings, and 3-month post-MI data including pro B-type natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP) and echocardiographic parameters. Results: Serum PN levels increased significantly when patients had AMI, negatively correlated with ejection fraction (EF) (r = - 0.462, p = 0.005), positively correlated with left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDd) (r = 0.413, p = 0.014). Conclusions: AMI increases serum PN levels, and PN can be used to predict cardiac function 3 months after MI in patients with non-ST elevation AMI.

BACKGROUND: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is related to the pathogenesis and poor outcome of numerous types of carcinomas, including gastric carcinoma. Gastric cancer patients with HER2 positivity have become potential candidates for targeted therapy with trastuzumab. METHODS: We investigated 208 gastric cancer specimens using immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridization and dual in situ hybridization (ISH). We also investigated the concordance between IHC and ISH. The correlation between HER2 status and various clinicopathological findings was also investigated. RESULTS: In total, 15.9% (33/208) and 24.5% (51/208) of gastric cancers showed HER2 gene amplification and protein overexpression, respectively. A high level of concordance between ISH and IHC analyses (91.3%, κ = 0.76) was found. A significant correlation between HER2 status and intestinal-type (p < .05) and differentiated carcinomas (p < .05) was also noted. The HER2 heterogeneity was high in gastric cancers; we found 68.8% phenotypic heterogeneity and 57.6% genotypic heterogeneity. Heterogeneity in HER2 protein expression and gene amplification showed a close association with diffuse histologic type and IHC 2+. CONCLUSIONS: HER2 protein overexpression and gene amplification were detected in 24.5% and 15.9% of gastric cancer specimens, respectively. Intestinal-type showed a higher level of HER2 protein overexpression and gene amplification than diffuse type. HER2 status also showed a significant relationship with well- and moderately-differentiated carcinomas. The ratio of phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity of HER2 was high in gastric carcinomas and was associated with HER2 IHC 2+ and diffuse histologic type.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Fluorescence ; Gene Amplification ; Genes, erbB-2 ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Population Characteristics* ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Trastuzumab

Backgroud: The aim of this study is to update on antibiotic resistance of common pathogenical bacteria isolated in Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital (Hue UMP Hospital). Methodology: Use of the agar disk diffusion method to test the susceptibility to antimicrobial agents of 3709 bacterial strains from infected patients hospitalized in Hue UMP Hospital in 2020 - 2022. Results: Among 3709 strains of pathogenical bacteria isolated, S.aureus was found with the rate of 29.9%, followed by E. coli (24.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginasa (17.8%), Enterococcus spp. (11.8%), Klebsiella spp (9.7%) and Acinetobacter spp (4.1%). The proportion of bacterial isolates has changed, but Staphylococcus aureus is still highest rate. S.aureus is resistant to many antibiotics, but MRSA strains have decreased significantly, from 73.3% in 2020 to 62.5% in 2022. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was resistant to some of the group A recommended antibiotics such as ceftazidime, piperacillin-tazobactam with the rate of 56.6% and 48.7%. The percentage of E. coli with ESBL strains (+) was at 28.2% - 30.3%. Enterococus spp strains are still sensitive to vancomycin (83.1% - 91.9%). The rate of Klebsiella ESBL (+) is only 6.9% to 8.2%. The strains of Acinetobacter spp were highly resistant to Piperacillin (100%) and Ceftriaxone (96.5%) but they are still sensitive to imipenems 70 - 71%, highly sensitive to Doxycillin (95.2%) and Cefotaxime (88.4%). Conclusion: Many bacterial strains are resistant to many commonly antibiotics. Providing timely, regular, and effective management of antibiotic resistance patterns for common pathogenic bacteria in hospitals, will help reduce the risk of bacterial resistance.