Alterations in Regional Brain Regional Volume Associated with Dioxin Exposure in Men Living in the Most Dioxin-Contaminated Area in Vietnam: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Analysis Using Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM).

To clarify the influence of dioxin exposure on brain morphometry, the present study investigated associations between dioxin exposure at high levels and brain structural irregularities in 32 Vietnamese men. Two exposure markers were used: blood dioxin levels, as a marker of exposure in adulthood, and perinatal dioxin exposure, estimated by maternal residency in a dioxin-contaminated area during pregnancy. All subjects underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Quality of life among advanced cancer patients in Vietnam: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Cancer is a leading cause of death in Vietnam. To maximize quality of life (QOL) at the end of life, valid and clinically useful instruments are needed to assess palliative care needs and the effectiveness of palliative care interventions.

Methods: We aimed to (i) determine psychometric properties of the Vietnamese version of the WHO abbreviated quality of life scale (WHOQOL-BREF) among advanced cancer patients, (ii) measure HR-QOL, and (iii) identify predictors of HR-QOL.

Diphtheria Outbreaks in Schools in Central Highland Districts, Vietnam, 2015-2018.

During 2015-2018, seven schools in rural Vietnam experienced diphtheria outbreaks. Multilocus sequence types were the same within schools but differed between schools. Low vaccine coverage and crowded dormitories might have contributed to the outbreaks.

Pediatric Anaerobic Blood Culture Practices in Industrialized Countries.

Background: Routine anaerobic blood culture collection in febrile children is controversial, as clinicians try to account for the severe but relative infrequency of anaerobic bacteremia. Furthermore, clinical and laboratory practice variation among institutions may lead to potentially inaccurate epidemiological data. Our goal was to assess blood culture practices in pediatric patients throughout an international network of hospitals in industrialized countries.

Palliative Care in Vietnam: Long-Term Partnerships Yield Increasing Access.

Palliative care began in Vietnam in 2001, but steady growth in palliative care services and education commenced several years later when partnerships for ongoing training and technical assistance by committed experts were created with the Ministry of Health, major public hospitals, and medical universities. An empirical analysis of palliative care need by the Ministry of Health in 2006 was followed by national palliative care clinical guidelines, initiation of clinical training for physicians and nurses, and revision of opioid prescribing regulations. As advanced and specialist training programs in palliative care became available, graduates of these programs began helping to establish palliative care services in their hospitals.

The Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity of Particulate and Soluble Cobalt in Human Urothelial Cells.

Cobalt use is increasing particularly due to its use as one of the primary metals in cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo) metal-on-metal prosthetics. CoCrMo is a high-strength, wear-resistant alloy with reduced risk for prosthetic loosening and device fracture. More than 500,000 people receive hip implants each year in the USA which puts them at potential risk for exposure to metal ions and particles released by the prosthetic implants.

Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles are not Cytotoxic or Clastogenic in Human Skin Cells.

The application of nanoparticle technology is rapidly expanding. The reduced dimensionality of nanoparticles can give rise to changes in chemical and physical properties, often resulting in altered toxicity. People are exposed dermally to titanium dioxide (TiO) nanoparticles in industrial and residential settings.

Effect of treatment with cyclophosphamide in low doses upon the onset of delayed type hypersensitivity in mice chronically infected with Trypanosoma cruzi: involvement of heart interstitial dendritic cells.

Acute infection with Trypanosoma cruzi results in intense myocarditis, which progresses to a chronic, asymptomatic indeterminate form. The evolution toward this chronic cardiac form occurs in approximately 30% of all cases of T. cruzi infection.

Crohn's disease in Caucasians and African Americans, as defined by clinical predictors and single nucleotide polymorphisms.

Objectives: To compare three aspects of Crohn's disease (CD) between African Americans and Caucasians: (1) demographic data and environmental factors affecting CD susceptibility, (2) disease presentation and clinical course, and (3) genetic susceptibility via the use of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) susceptibility loci.

Methods: Clinical data and peripheral blood were obtained from 1032 patients (554 CD patients and 478 controls) derived from a clinically well-defined university-based medical and surgical digestive disease practice and included those who were diagnosed with IBD. Genomic DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and genotyping were performed for 11 SNPs, including the NOD2, IL-23r, OCTN 1, and the IGR gene variants.

Chemical pneumonitis from aspiration of rash protector spray.

Within hours of accidental instillation of a popular diaper rash protector spray, a 23 day old male developed severe chemical pneumonitis, acute respiratory failure and pneumomediastinum. Despite optimal ventilatory management, the unconventional use of frequent bronchial saline lavages was necessary to maintain oxygenation and ventilation. The only listed active ingredient, 10% dimethicone was a non-toxic inhalant, but the undisclosed inactive ingredients included mineral oil and balsam of peru which may cause chemical pneumonitis and allergic reactions.

Does clinically relevant temperature change miRNA and cytokine expression in whole blood?

Unintentional hypothermia is a well-described risk factor for death and complications after elective and emergency surgery. The molecular mechanisms by which hypothermia exerts its detrimental effects are not well understood. Differences in cytokine production and the overall cell function have been reported under hypothermic conditions.

New-onset neonatal pulmonary hypertension associated with a rhinovirus infection.

A 3.5-week-old male neonate who developed an upper and lower respiratory tract rhinovirus infection that was temporally associated with the development of severe pulmonary hypertension is described. Rhinovirus has not previously been associated with pulmonary hypertension.

Dextran fractional clearance studies in acute dengue infection.

Background: Although increased capillary permeability is the major clinical feature associated with severe dengue infections the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. Dextran clearance methodology has been used to investigate the molecular sieving properties of the microvasculature in clinical situations associated with altered permeability, including during pregnancy and in various renal disorders. In order to better understand the characteristics of the vascular leak associated with dengue we undertook formal dextran clearance studies in Vietnamese dengue patients and healthy volunteers.

Trypanosoma cruzi: clones isolated from the Colombian strain, reproduce the parental strain characteristics, with ubiquitous histotropism.

Clonal histotropism and biological characters of five clones isolated during the early acute phase of the infection of Swiss mice with the Colombian strain of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi I), Biodeme Type III, were investigated. Clones were isolated from mice at the 10th and the 30th day of infection with the Colombian strain.

Kinetics of US28 gene expression during active human cytomegalovirus infection in lung-transplant recipients.

Targeting viral proteins early during infection may limit exacerbation of human cytomegalovirus infection. The viral chemokine-receptor homologue US28 interferes with leukocyte trafficking and, possibly, viral replication. Because US28 molecules are abundant on the surface of infected cells, this homologue is a potential target for antiviral therapy.

The human cytomegalovirus-encoded receptor US28 increases the activity of the major immediate-early promoter/enhancer.

The activation of the major immediate-early promoter (MIEP) is a key event in the cytomegalovirus replication cycle and is dependent on cellular transcription factors which are partially activated by viral proteins. Expression of the viral chemokine receptor homolog US28 results in constitutive activation of pro-inflammatory transcription factors that may be involved in the activation of the major immediate-early promoter/enhancer. Using reporter gene assays in human embryonic kidney cells, we found that US28 signaling was responsible for increased major immediate-early promoter/enhancer activity which was independent of beta-chemokine binding.

Abdominal obesity and smoking are important determinants of C-reactive protein in renal transplant recipients.

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a predictor of coronary heart disease, total mortality and chronic allograft nephropathy in renal transplant recipients. The determinants of CRP have been investigated in the general population, but not in renal transplant recipients. CRP might reflect metabolic aberrations in association with central obesity and systemic atherosclerosis.

US28 actions in HCMV infection: lessons from a versatile hijacker.

Mimicking host proteins is a strategy adopted by several herpesviruses to exploit the host cell for their own benefit. In this respect the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) chemokine receptor homologue US28, has been extensively studied. Molecular pirates such as US28 can teach us about crucial events in HCMV infection and may either offer a potential target for antiviral therapy or provide an alternative strategy to immune suppression.

The modulation of angiogenesis in the foreign body response by the poxviral protein M-T7.

The foreign body response is characterized by enhanced recruitment of inflammatory cells. As the directional movement of cells is controlled by chemokines, disruption of the chemokine network would be an attractive approach to improve biocompatibility of an implanted material. The sequestration of chemokines by cell surface-expressed glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) is vital for in vivo chemokine activity.

Viral chemokine-modulatory proteins: tools and targets.

The chemokine network is an extensive system that regulates many immune functions such as leukocyte locomotion, T cell differentiation, angiogenesis and mast cell degranulation. Tight control of chemokines is vital for proper immune function. Not surprisingly, viruses have found ways to subvert or exploit the immune system in order to persist in co-existence with their hosts.

Pure red cell aplasia after 13 years of sodium valproate, and bone marrow suppression after 17 years of carbamazepine.

A 38-year-old woman presented with acute hematological toxicity from her anticonvulsants, even though she had been taking them for many years

The value of prospective monitoring of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in blood samples of pediatric liver transplant recipients.

Unlabelled: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in transplantation patients. A primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is a major risk factor for developing PTLD. The aim of this study was to determine circulating EBV DNA after liver transplantation in pediatric patients in relation to primary EBV infection and development of PTLD.

Pulmonary involvement during cytomegalovirus infection in immunosuppressed patients.

Although cytomegalovirus (CMV) pulmonary involvement after solid organ transplantation is infrequently seen nowadays, CMV pneumonitis is still a potential lethal complication. Introduction of the pp65 antigenemia assay enabled early and rapid diagnosis of CMV viremia in transplant patients prior to symptoms. Also, in asymptomatic patients with CMV viremia, a decreased pulmonary diffusion capacity could be demonstrated.