Current status and actual need for pediatric liver transplantation in Southern Vietnam

Liver transplantation (LT) has considerably improved the outcome of patients with end‐stage liver disease, especially in children. The first pediatric LT in Vietnam was performed in 2004. To assess the current need for pediatric LT in Southern Vietnam, a total of 280 patients with chronic liver disease followed at Children's Hospital 2 (Ho Chi Minh City), the only pediatric LT center in this region, were evaluated from January 2009 to June 2014. Sixty‐seven patients satisfied criteria for LT but only one transplant surgery occurred since 2009. Parental consent for LT was obtained only in 28.4% of patients. The main reasons for the small number of LTs were financial costs, far distance from home, lifelong follow‐up and treatment, and shortage of organ donors. We conclude that the current need for pediatric LT in Southern Vietnam is high. Efforts should be made to develop the liver transplant program in this developing country.     

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons concentrations simultaneously obtained in gas,rainwater and particles

This study reported the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations simultaneously obtained in gas/rain/particle in rain event from 2010 to 2012 in Osaka, Japan. A sampling method for rain and the materials of a rain collector were also surveyed. Benzene and a glass bottle were used to prevent the decrease of PAHs in rainwater. The average concentration of Σ9PAHs in rainwater ranged between 17.49 and 646.52 ng dm^?3. The mean ratio of these Σ9PAHs in gas versus particles was 77.9 and 68.3 % during rain and no rain, respectively. During rain, the PAHs in particles were scavenged by rain and were incorporated via washout by collision with each other. Therefore, the ratio of PAHs in rainwater was similar to that in particles. The low molecular weight LMW-PAHs from gas were recognized as being dissolved in rain but did not affect the ratio of PAHs in rain. Four rings PAH were dominant in gas/rain/particles. The seasonal variation of Σ9PAHs in rainwater was reported and discussed, and the PAHs levels during the winter and spring were higher compared with that of summer and autumn. Furthermore, the sampling method of PAHs in snow is also developed.     

Impaired immune responsiveness in Plasmodium berghei immune mice

Mice immunized against Plasmodium berghei parasites by drug-controlled infection exhibited decreased immunoresponsiveness against rabbit red blood cells (RRBC). Increasing RRBC antigen dose increased responsiveness, but agglutinating anti-RRBC antibodies of the IgG class remained undetectable. Clearance of colloidal carbon from the bloodstream of malaria-immunized mice was not different from controls. Removal of all the persistent parasites from immune mice did not restore responsiveness until 140 days after treatment, suggesting that the parasite per se did not influence responsiveness directly. Because of this, and because of the fact that priming of mice with RRBC before P. berghei immunization was not more effective than priming after immunization, it was concluded that antigen uptake and subsequent presentation were not impaired in P. berghei immune mice, in contrast to infected mice. Anti-RRBC antibodies were detected in serum of P. berghei immune mice, but regulation of responsiveness to RRBC by transfer of such immune mouse serum was not found. Immunoglobulin levels, especially of the IgG2 and IgG3 subclass were elevated in sera of P. berghei immune mice, which indicated an LPS-like polyclonal activation. The results also suggest that during drug-controlled infection, which leads to immunity against infection, a state of B-cell tolerance is induced.     

Severe Malaria Not Responsive to Artemisinin Derivatives in Man Returning from Angola to Vietnam

Resistance to artemisinin derivatives, the most potent antimalarial drugs currently used, has emerged in Southeast Asia and threatens to spread to Africa. We report a case of malaria in a man who returned to Vietnam after 3 years in Angola that did not respond to intravenous artesunate and clindamycin or an oral artemisinin-based combination.     

Opposing Effects of Prior Infection versus Prior Vaccination on Vaccine Immunogenicity against Influenza A(H3N2) Viruses

Prior vaccination can alternately enhance or attenuate influenza vaccine immunogenicity and effectiveness. Analogously, we found that vaccine immunogenicity was enhanced by prior A(H3N2) virus infection among participants of the Ha Nam Cohort, Viet Nam, but was attenuated by prior vaccination among Australian Health Care Workers (HCWs) vaccinated in the same year. Here, we combined these studies to directly compare antibody titers against 35 A(H3N2) viruses spanning 1968–2018. Participants received licensed inactivated vaccines containing A/HongKong/4801/2014 (H3N2). The analysis was limited to participants aged 18–65 Y, and compared those exposed to A(H3N2) viruses circulating since 2009 by infection (Ha Nam) or vaccination (HCWs) to a reference group who had no recent A(H3N2) infection or vaccination (Ha Nam). Antibody responses were compared by fitting titer/titer-rise landscapes across strains, and by estimating titer ratios to the reference group of 2009–2018 viruses. Pre-vaccination, titers were lowest against 2009–2014 viruses among the reference (no recent exposure) group. Post-vaccination, titers were, on average, two-fold higher among participants with prior infection and two-fold lower among participants with 3–5 prior vaccinations compared to the reference group. Titer rise was negligible among participants with 3–5 prior vaccinations, poor among participants with 1–2 prior vaccinations, and equivalent or better among those with prior infection compared to the reference group. The enhancing effect of prior infection versus the incrementally attenuating effect of prior vaccinations suggests that these exposures may alternately promote and constrain the generation of memory that can be recalled by a new vaccine strain.