Metabolic syndrome among a middle-aged population in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clustering of metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of MetS, its components, and their associations among rural middle-aged population in Vietnam. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with a representative sample (n = 2443) was conducted to collect data on demographic, socioeconomic, anthropometric, lifestyles, plasma glucose, and lipid profile. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalences of MetS and its components were calculated using the direct standardization. Associations of risk factors with MetS were evaluated using logistic regression, taken into account the confounding factors. RESULTS: The total age- and sex-adjusted prevalence (95% CI) of MetS was 16.3% (14.0 - 18.6). The most frequent component of MetS was high triglycerides (43.2%), followed by low HDL-C (42.0%), elevated blood pressure (29.2%), high plasma glucose (14.3%), and central obesity (12.3%). Of the total population, only 17.6% did not have any component of MetS and more than 40% had at least two MetS components. The association of MetS with residence, age, body mass index, marital status, and siesta time per day was statistically significant in univariate analysis and replicated in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The MetS prevalence and its components are common and major public health burden in the middle-aged adults in Vietnam. Habitants living in urban, being never-married, having an increase in age, BMI, and siesta time per day are significantly associated with MetS, and they should be paid much more attention for screening and implementing preventive activities

Cytotoxic Compounds from Brucea mollis

Ten compounds, including soulameanone (1), isobruceine B (2), 9-methoxy-canthin-6-one (3), bruceolline F (4), niloticine (5), octatriacontan-1-ol (6), bombiprenone (7), α-tocopherol (8), inosine (9), and apigenin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (10), were isolated from the leaves, stems, and roots of Brucea mollis Wall. ex Kurz. Their structures were determined using one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against KB (human carcinoma of the mouth), LU-1 (human lung adenocarcinoma), LNCaP (human prostate adeno-carcinoma), and HL-60 (human promyelocytic leukemia) cancer cell lines. Compound 2 showed significant cytotoxic activity against KB, LU-1, LNCaP, and HL-60 cancer cells with IC50 values of 0.39, 0.40, 0.34, and 0.23 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, compounds 3 and 5 showed significant cytotoxic activity against KB, LU-1, LNCaP, and HL-60 cancer cells with IC50 values around 1–4 μg/mL. Compounds 9-methoxycanthin-6-one (3) and niloticine (5) have been discovered for the first time from the Brucea genus

Atopic dermatitis trajectories to age 8 years in the GUSTO cohort.

Background:The heterogeneity of childhood atopic dermatitis (AD) underscores the need to understand latent phenotypes that may inform risk stratification and disease prognostication.Objective:To identify AD trajectories across the first 8 years of life and investigate risk factors associated with each trajectory and their relationships with other comorbidities.Methods:Data were collected prospectively from 1152 mother-offspring dyads in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort from ages 3 months to 8 years. AD was defined based on parent-reported doctor's diagnosis. An unsupervised machine learning technique was used to determine AD trajectories.Results:Three AD trajectories were identified as follows: early-onset transient (6.3%), late-onset persistent (6.3%) and early-onset persistent (2.1%), alongside a no AD/reference group (85.2%). Early-onset transient AD was positively associated with male gender, family history of atopy, house dust mite sensitization and some measures of wheezing. Early-onset persistent AD was associated with antenatal/intrapartum antibiotic use, food sensitization and some measures of wheezing. Late-onset persistent AD was associated with a family history of atopy, some measures of house dust mite sensitization and some measures of allergic rhinitis and wheezing.Conclusion and Clinical Relevance:Three AD trajectories were identified in this birth cohort, with different risk factors and prognostic implications. Further work is needed to understand the molecular and immunological origins of these phenotypes.<br/

Molecular Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori Infection in a Minor Ethnic Group of Vietnam: A Multiethnic, Population-Based Study

The Helicobacter pylori-induced burden of gastric cancer varies based on geographical regions and ethnic grouping. Vietnam is a multiethnic country with the highest incidence of gastric cancer in Southeast Asia, but previous studies focused only on the Kinh ethnic group. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted using 494 volunteers (18–78 years old), from 13 ethnic groups in Daklak and Lao Cai provinces, Vietnam. H. pylori status was determined by multiple tests (rapid urease test, culture, histology, and serology). cagA and vacA genotypes were determined by PCR-based sequencing. The overall H. pylori infection rate was 38.1%. Multivariate analysis showed that variations in geographical region, age, and ethnicity were independent factors associated with the risk of H. pylori acquisition. Therefore, multicenter, multiethnic, population based study is essential to assess the H. pylori prevalence and its burden in the general population. Only the E De ethnicity carried strains with Western-type CagA (82%) and exhibited significantly lower gastric mucosal inflammation compared to other ethnic groups. However, the histological scores of Western-type CagA and East-Asian-type CagA within the E De group showed no significant differences. Thus, in addition to bacterial virulence factors, host factors are likely to be important determinants for gastric mucosal inflammation and contribute to the Asian enigma

Atopic dermatitis trajectories to age 8 years in the GUSTO cohort.

Background:The heterogeneity of childhood atopic dermatitis (AD) underscores the need to understand latent phenotypes that may inform risk stratification and disease prognostication.Objective:To identify AD trajectories across the first 8 years of life and investigate risk factors associated with each trajectory and their relationships with other comorbidities.Methods:Data were collected prospectively from 1152 mother-offspring dyads in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort from ages 3 months to 8 years. AD was defined based on parent-reported doctor's diagnosis. An unsupervised machine learning technique was used to determine AD trajectories.Results:Three AD trajectories were identified as follows: early-onset transient (6.3%), late-onset persistent (6.3%) and early-onset persistent (2.1%), alongside a no AD/reference group (85.2%). Early-onset transient AD was positively associated with male gender, family history of atopy, house dust mite sensitization and some measures of wheezing. Early-onset persistent AD was associated with antenatal/intrapartum antibiotic use, food sensitization and some measures of wheezing. Late-onset persistent AD was associated with a family history of atopy, some measures of house dust mite sensitization and some measures of allergic rhinitis and wheezing.Conclusion and Clinical Relevance:Three AD trajectories were identified in this birth cohort, with different risk factors and prognostic implications. Further work is needed to understand the molecular and immunological origins of these phenotypes.<br/

Portable and non-invasive blood glucose monitoring over a prolonged period using whispering gallery modes at 2.4 GHz

Invasive measurement of blood glucose is not appropriate for everyone, particularly the patients with leukemia. Here, we demonstrate how the blood glucose can be non-invasively monitored over a prolonged period in the absence of any expensive equipment. Method: A portable and non-invasive glucose sensor capable of monitoring blood glucose at real-time has been successfully constructed and tested in the absence of any vector network analyzer. Using vacuum suction, the sensor head of the proposed non-invasive glucose sensor forms a whispering gallery resonator out of a skin tissue on an arm during the measurement process. The architecture of the proposed glucose sensor is equipped with standard components, including a WiFi transmitter, an RSSI sensor and a microcontroller based computer display. Results: Using the proposed glucose sensor, a healthy volunteer has been his blood glucose levels monitored over 72 minutes after consuming a loaf of bread and a cup of cow milk. The measured blood glucose rose shortly after the meal until it peaked at 40 minutes and finally fell to the initial value at around 72 minutes. Conclusion: The overall results were in general consistent with the expected results. The proposed glucose sensor is expected to be instrumental for the individuals who dislike the traditional lancets

Correction: Influenza A H5N1 Clade 2.3.4 Virus with a Different Antiviral Susceptibility Profile Replaced Clade 1 Virus in Humans in Northern Vietnam

BACKGROUND: Prior to 2007, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses isolated from poultry and humans in Vietnam were consistently reported to be clade 1 viruses, susceptible to oseltamivir but resistant to amantadine. Here we describe the re-emergence of human HPAI H5N1 virus infections in Vietnam in 2007 and the characteristics of the isolated viruses. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Respiratory specimens from patients suspected to be infected with avian influenza in 2007 were screened by influenza and H5 subtype specific polymerase chain reaction. Isolated H5N1 strains were further characterized by genome sequencing and drug susceptibility testing. Eleven poultry outbreak isolates from 2007 were included in the sequence analysis. Eight patients, all of them from northern Vietnam, were diagnosed with H5N1 in 2007 and five of them died. Phylogenetic analysis of H5N1 viruses isolated from humans and poultry in 2007 showed that clade 2.3.4 H5N1 viruses replaced clade 1 viruses in northern Vietnam. Four human H5N1 strains had eight-fold reduced in-vitro susceptibility to oseltamivir as compared to clade 1 viruses. In two poultry isolates the I117V mutation was found in the neuraminidase gene, which is associated with reduced susceptibility to oseltamivir. No mutations in the M2 gene conferring amantadine resistance were found. CONCLUSION: In 2007, H5N1 clade 2.3.4 viruses replaced clade 1 viruses in northern Vietnam and were susceptible to amantadine but showed reduced susceptibility to oseltamivir. Combination antiviral therapy with oseltamivir and amantadine for human cases in Vietnam is recommended