Objective: To investigate the cause of a foodborne outbreak that occurred in Dong Nai province, Viet Nam, in 2024, and implement control measures. Methods: An initial investigation was conducted to confirm the outbreak, which was followed by epidemiological and environmental investigations to find the plausible causative food item. Clinical specimens and food samples were tested to identify the pathogen. Results: A total of 547 symptomatic cases were recorded, of whom two were in severe condition requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and ventilation, one of whom died. Among 99 interviewed cases, the mean incubation time was 9 hours (range 2–24 hours), with the main symptoms being fever, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting. All patients had eaten banh mi from a local bakery. Salmonella spp. were identified in food samples and clinical specimens. The bakery halted production, and the outbreak ended after 1 week. Discussion: All the patients were exposed to only one food in common, which facilitated the investigation process. This outbreak is a reminder to small retailers and take-away shops of the importance of food safety management in preventing similar future outbreaks. All food handlers must comply with food hygiene principles, especially in hot temperatures, which boosts bacterial growth.

Background: The identification of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) requires a comprehensive analysis involving clinical manifestations and histological findings. This study aims to provide insights into the histopathological and immunohistochemical aspects of IIMs. Methods: This retrospective case series involved 56 patients diagnosed with IIMs at the Department of Pathology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, from 2019 to 2023. The histology and immunohistochemical expression of HLA-ABC, HLA-DR, C5b-9, Mx1/2/3, and p62 were detected. Results: We examined six categories of inflammatory myopathy, including immunemediated necrotizing myopathy (58.9%), dermatomyositis (DM; 23.2%), overlap myositis (8.9%), antisynthetase syndrome (5.4%), inclusion body myositis (IBM; 1.8%), and polymyositis (1.8%). The average age of the patients was 49.7 ± 16.1 years, with a female-to-male ratio of 3:1. Inflammatory cell infiltration in the endomysium was present in 62.5% of cases, perifascicular atrophy was found in 17.8%, and fiber necrosis was observed in 42 cases (75.0%). Rimmed vacuoles were present in 100% of cases in the IBM group. Immunohistochemistry showed the following positivity rates: HLA-ABC (89.2%), HLA-DR (19.6%), C5b-9 (57.1%), and Mx1/2/3 (10.7%). Mx1/2/3 expression was high in DM cases. p62 vacuole deposits were noted in the IBM case. The combination of membrane attack complex and major histocompatibility complex I helped detect IIMs in 96% of cases. Conclusions The diagnosis of IIMs and their subtypes should be based on clinical features and histopathological characteristics. Immunohistochemistry plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and differentiation of these subgroups.

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.

Objective: To investigate the cause of a botulism outbreak in several provinces in Viet Nam in 2020. Methods: An initial investigation was conducted to confirm the outbreak and to form hypotheses about the potential causes, followed by a case–control assessment of the plausible causative food item. Collected food samples were tested to identify the pathogen, and mouse bioassays were performed. Control measures were introduced to stop the outbreak and to prevent similar events in the future. Results: Twelve people in six southern provinces of Viet Nam were identified as having symptoms of botulism, of whom 11 were in critical condition requiring breathing support. A history of foods eaten in the 4 days before illness onset indicated that all the cases had eaten a tinned vegetarian pate, and a case–control assessment showed that this was significantly associated with the outbreak, with an odds ratio of 35.2 (95% confidence interval: 3.4–infinity). Clostridium botulinum type B was detected in three of eight pâté samples collected from the houses of cases. In the mouse bioassay for the toxicity of the pâté samples, all the mice died with clinical symptoms of botulism. Discussion: A tinned vegetarian pate was the plausible cause of a botulism outbreak in Viet Nam in 2020. Revision of food safety regulations to improve quality control of tinned foods to prevent future outbreaks is recommended.

Objective: To document the evolution and optimization of the Zika virus (ZIKV) disease surveillance system in southern Viet Nam in 2016 and to describe the characteristics of the identified ZIKV-positive cases. Methods: We established a sentinel surveillance system to monitor ZIKV transmission in eight sites in eight provinces and expanded the system to 71 sites in 20 provinces in southern Viet Nam in 2016. Blood and urine samples from patients who met the case definition at the sentinel sites were tested for ZIKV using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City (PI-HCMC). We conducted descriptive analysis and mapped the ZIKV-positive cases. Results: In 2016, 2190 specimens from 20 provinces in southern Viet Nam were tested for ZIKV at PI-HCMC; 626 (28.6%), 484 (22.1%), 35 (1.6%) and 1045 (47.7%) tests were conducted in the first, second, third and fourth quarters of the year, respectively. Of these tested specimens, 214 (9.8%) were ZIKV positive with 212 (99.1%) identified in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the highest positivity rate was those in age groups 30–39 years (30.0%) and 40–59 years (31.6%). Of the 214 ZIKV-positive patients, 210 (98.1%) presented with rash, 194 (90.7%) with fever, 149 (69.6%) with muscle pain, 123 (57.5%) with joint pain and 66 (30.8%) with conjunctivitis. Discussion The surveillance system for ZIKV disease underwent several phases of optimization in 2016, guided by the most up-to-date local data. Here we demonstrate an adaptable surveillance system that detected ZIKV-positive cases in southern Viet Nam.

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

Objective: To examine the multiplication efficiency Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) genotype I (GI) and genotype III (GIII) of different cell lines which originated from human, porcine, mosquitoes in order to prove mechanism of JEV GI replacement JEV GIII since it emerging in nature recent decades. Methods: The mixture of GI and GIII JEV isolates was inoculated on human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD), pig kidney epithelial (PS) and Aedes albopictus C6/36 clone (C6/36) which originated from human, porcine and mosquitoes, respectively. Plaque assays were performed to calculate virus titer and real-time RT-PCR with GI and GIII specific primer sets to quantify the number of GI and GIII RNA copies. Results: The highest virus titer reached at the 3rd day of post infection when GI and GIII mixture was inoculated on RD and PS and that of C6/36 was at the 4th day. JEVs were amplified and maintained by C6/36 cells after 10 passages whereas that by RD and PS only limited within 8 and 6 passages, respectively. GI strain amplified and maintained more efficiently on C6/36 and PS but not RD, whereas GIII strain amplified and maintained more efficiently on RD. Conclusions: There is a correlation between the multiplication efficiency of GI and GIII JEV strains when these two genotype strains co-infected on different cell lines with the predominance of GI strains in C6/36 and PS and the limited detection of GI strains in RD cells proving a possible mechanism of shift JEV genotypes in nature recent decades since GI emerging.

Phytochemical investigation of Kandelia candel resulted in the isolation of six triterpenes (1 - 5) and two glyceryl glycosides (6 and 7) and their structures were determined by comparing the spectroscopic data with those of reported values. In present study, we described the inhibitory effects of fractions and isolated compounds from K. candel on pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-12 p40, IL-6, and TNF-alpha) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). Results indicated that compounds 3, 6, and 7 showed potent inhibition on IL-6 production (IC50 values at less than 0.5 microM, respectively). Meanwhile, compounds 6 and 7 exhibited strong inhibitory effects on the production of TNF-alpha (IC50 values of 1.7 +/- 0.1 and 5.5 +/- 0.2 microM). Compounds 1 and 3 were also showed the inhibitory effects on IL-12 p40 production (IC50 values of 8.9 +/- 0.4 and 3.3 +/- 0.1 microM, respectively).
Cytokines ; Dendritic Cells ; Glycosides* ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-6 ; Rhizophoraceae* ; Triterpenes* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Background: Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of inherited mental retardation. The absence of Fragile X Mental Retardation (FMRP) in Fragile X syndrome changes other proteins. Objective: To detect changes of glycoprotein in human serum of Fragile X syndrome. Subject and methods: Affinity chromatography with lectin concanavalin A (ConA) used to receive glycoprotein. The collected glycoprotein was then separated using 2-D electrophoresis. The protein spots were further excised, trypsin digested, and analyzed by nano LC couple with ESI-MS/MS and identified by MASCOT v1.8 software. Results and conclusion: 5 glycoproteins showed the different expression levels in the serum of Fragile X syndrome. Haptoglobin, Ig-J were increased and ceruloplasmin, transferring, Ig kappa were decreased. Using affinity chromatography with lectin concanavalin A (ConA), glycoprotein was received and divided on 2 ways electrokinetic chromatography. The mixture protein was identified with a reliability of 99.5% by 2 ways liquid chromatography combined with continuous spectrum mass.
Fragile X syndrome ; Fragile X Mental Retardation ; proteomics

Background: Recently Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus type 1 has surfaced and is co-circulated with JE virus type 3 in the northern areas of Viet Nam, so a sensitivity of JE viral antigen genotype 3 to detect IgM is required. Objectives: To compare the sensitivity of JE viral antigen genotype 1 and 3 to detect IgM against the JE virus. Materials and method: 783 cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples from viral encephalitis cases from 1999-2005 were collected and examined by MAC-ELISA for JE viral antigen genotype 1 and 3. Results: The agreement on the diagnosis of these kinds of antigen was 99.7% and the sensitivity of JE viral antigen genotype 3 was higher than that of genotype 1. Thus, JE viral antigen genotype 3 could be considered as the selected antigen for JE diagnosis in Viet Nam. IgM titer determined by JE viral antigen genotype 1 was higher than that of genotype 3 in 2003 and 2005 and lower in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004. Conclusion: The dominant phenomenon of JE viral genotypes differing over the years might be due to the interaction of the virus and its vectors. Further study is required to clarify this observation.
Japanese Encephalitis ; antigen