Background: CARD4/NOD1 is a member of the Caterpiller (CLR) gene family and is involved in the recognition of entero-invasive bacteria, such as Helicobacter pylori and ensures immunity responses. As a consequence, gene variability can influence the gastric inflammatory response to Helicobacter pylori. Objectives: The study was conducted to investigate the frequency of the E266K CARD4/NOD1 gene polymorphism and its relationship with Helicobacter pylori infection as well as the outcome on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent gastrointestinal endoscopy were eligible for the study. DNA was isolated from whole blood and polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism procedure was used for genotyping. The link between endoscopic diagnosis, Helicobacter pylori infection status and genotype data was analyzed using Pearson\u2019s chi-square test and regression analysis. Results: A total of 186 patients were studied (mean age of 43 years with SD = 12.6, male was 37%). Helicobacter pylori infection rate is indifferent between patients with different variants of E266K (wildtype (n=80) 54%, heterozygotes (n=71) 65% and homozygotes (n=35) 43%; p=0.09). In patients infected with Helicobacter pylori, the prevalence of peptic ulcer identified by endoscopy was 19%, 17% and 47% for the E266K wildtype, heterozygote and homozygote variants, respectively (p=0.049). Conclusion: The E266K CARD4/NOD1 gene polymorphism carriers are at increased risk of peptic ulcer in the presence of Helicobacter pylori.
Peptic ulcer ; gene ; Helicobacter pylori

Background: Some researchers indicated that investigating MUC5AC is necessary for H.pylori infection because H.pylori is easy to locate in MUC5AC. However, there is no publication about the effect of variable number tandem repeat polymorphism of MUC5AC on H.pylori infection. Objective: To investigate the relationship between mucin 5AC variable number tandem repeated polymorphism and H.pylori infection. Subject and Method: 170 patients were studied, mean age: 43, male: 35%. Blood samples were collected from patients, who visited Can Tho General Hospital for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. DNA was isolated from whole blood; the repeated section of the MUC5AC alleles was not cut out with a restriction enzyme (SacI). H.pylori infection was diagnosed with 14 C urea breath test. Distributions of allele fragment length were compared to H.pylori positive and negative patients. Results: 52% of patients were H.pylori infected. MUC5AC SacI-restricted allele fragment lengths ranged from 6.2 to 11.2 kbp (mean 7.9), the calculated number of repeated ranged from 170 to 380 (mean 243). Mean allele length was identical for H.pylori positive and negative patients were 7.9 kbp, and the distribution of allele fragment lengths was also similar for both groups (p=0.7). Conclusion: The number of repeats in the MUC5AC gen was highly polymorphic, but the variation in allele length was limited. The variable number tandem repeat polymorphism of MUC5AC was not associated with H.pylori infection.
H.pylori infection ; MUCSAC

Background: Several studies reported a high prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in some Asian countries and in Asian immigrants living in Western countries. However, there is no data regarding the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in Viet Nam.\r\n', u'Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms in the Mekong Delta and to investigate the risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency. \r\n', u'Methods: Blood samples were collected from patients visiting Can Tho General Hospital for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Serum vitamin B12 concentration was measured at the University Medical center St Radboud Nijmegen, Netherlands. \r\n', u'Results: Between September and December 2003, 216 patients (80 male, 136 female, mean age 43.2 years) were studied. Ten patients had gastric cancer, 28 peptic ulcer disease/ and 178 gastritis only or no visible pathology. Only 2 patients (0.9%) had clinical vitamin B12 deficiency (<160 pmol/l, whereas 15 patients (7.0%) had sub-clinical vitamin 812 deficiency (160-250 pmol/l). H. pylori positive patients (n=111) were more likely to have para-clinical vitamin B12 deficiency than H. pylori negative patients (odds ratio 3.7~ 95%CI 1.10-12.76). \r\n', u'Conclusions: Vitamin B12 deficiency is uncommon in the Mekong Delta. Helicobacter pylori infection is a risk factor for vitamin B12 deficiency. \r\n', u'
Vitamin B12 deficiency ; gastroenterologic symptoms

Background: Hypertensive with impaired fasting glucose is the basic expression of metabolic syndrome. Objectives: To study the IR and the correlation between Fasting Plasma Insulin (FPI) and Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) concentration in hypertensive patients with Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG). Subjects and method: The descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out on 38 hypertensive patients with IFG (IFG group) and 30 hypertensive patients without IFG (control group). The data were collected and analyzed by SPSS 11.5 software. Results:The FPI and IR index in the IFG group were 14.6+/-5.2 micro mol/ml and 3. 94+/- l.40, respectively, higher than in the control group (9.6+/-4.2 micro mol/ml and 2.17+/-0.99/ respectively) with p<0.00l. There was a positive correlation between FPI and FPG systolic blood and diastolic blood pressure/ with correlation coefficients were 0.4/ 0.48 and 0.46/ respectively (p<0.00l). Conclusion: There was an increase of FPI and IR index in the hypertensive patients with IFG compared to those without IFG. \r\n', u'\r\n', u'
Insulin resistance ; hypertensive patients ; impaired fasting glucose.

The foundations of nuclear medicine in Vietnam were established from 1970. Until now, after 48 years of development, in Vietnam, we have some basic equipment including 31 SPECT, 4 SPECT/CT machines, 11 PET/CT scanners, five cyclotrons, and one nuclear reactor.Many nuclearmedicine techniques in diagnosis and treatment have been routinely performed at provincial and central level health facilities such as tumor scintigraphy, thyroid scintigraphy, bone scintigraphy, kidney scintigraphy, cardiac scintigraphy, and radio-isotope therapy with I-131 and P-32. Selective internal radiation therapy with Y-90 microsphere and I-125 radioactive seed implantation has been also successfully applied in some big hospitals. However, there are still many difficulties for Vietnam as the lack of new widely used radioisotopes such as Ga-67, Cu-64, Samarium-153, and Lutetium-177 and the lack of nuclear medicine specialists. In the future, we are putting our efforts on the applications of new isotopes in diagnosis and treatment of cancers (theranostic) like Ga-68-DOTATATE, Lutetium-177-DOTATATE, Ga-68-PSMA, and Lutetium-177-PSMA, equipping modern nuclear medicine diagnostic tools, strengthening the human resources training in nuclear medicine. At the same time, we are trying our best to strengthen the cooperation with international nuclear medicine societies in over the world.

The foundations of nuclear medicine in Vietnam were established from 1970. Until now, after 48 years of development, in Vietnam, we have some basic equipment including 31 SPECT, 4 SPECT/CT machines, 11 PET/CT scanners, five cyclotrons, and one nuclear reactor.Many nuclearmedicine techniques in diagnosis and treatment have been routinely performed at provincial and central level health facilities such as tumor scintigraphy, thyroid scintigraphy, bone scintigraphy, kidney scintigraphy, cardiac scintigraphy, and radio-isotope therapy with I-131 and P-32. Selective internal radiation therapy with Y-90 microsphere and I-125 radioactive seed implantation has been also successfully applied in some big hospitals. However, there are still many difficulties for Vietnam as the lack of new widely used radioisotopes such as Ga-67, Cu-64, Samarium-153, and Lutetium-177 and the lack of nuclear medicine specialists. In the future, we are putting our efforts on the applications of new isotopes in diagnosis and treatment of cancers (theranostic) like Ga-68-DOTATATE, Lutetium-177-DOTATATE, Ga-68-PSMA, and Lutetium-177-PSMA, equipping modern nuclear medicine diagnostic tools, strengthening the human resources training in nuclear medicine. At the same time, we are trying our best to strengthen the cooperation with international nuclear medicine societies in over the world.
Cyclotrons ; Diagnosis ; Foundations ; Health Facilities ; Humans ; Isotopes ; Kidney ; Microspheres ; Nuclear Medicine ; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography ; Radioisotopes ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Specialization ; Theranostic Nanomedicine ; Thyroid Gland ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Vietnam