Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Urban and Rural Vietnam

Helicobacter pylori-associated diseases, such as peptic ulcer and gastric cancer, are common in Vietnam, but the prevalence of the infection is largely unknown. A validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for seroepidemiology with 971 samples from the general population, ages 0 to 88 years, with 546 samples from an urban population (Hanoi), and with 425 samples from a poor, rural province (Hatay). The overall seroprevalence of the infection was 746 per 1,000, with a prevalence of 788 per 1,000 in Hanoi and 692 per 1,000 in Hatay (P = 0.0007). The risk for infection in the rural area of Hatay was 40% lower than in the urban population of Hanoi, with the odds ratio being 0.59 (95% confidence interval, 0.43 to 0.81). The study shows that the prevalence of H. pylori infection is high in Vietnam and especially high in a large urban area, such as the city of Hanoi.     

Secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor from human luteinized granulosa cells is human chorionic gonadotrophin dependent

Vascularization is a prominent event during corpus luteum formation, providing low density lipoproteins for steroid biosynthesis and enabling transport of secreted steroids. The process of vascularization is controlled by specific regulators. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), otherwise named vascular permeability factor (VPF), induces endothelial cell proliferation as well as angiogenesis in vivo and increases capillary permeability. Here we report the expression of VEGF/VPF mRNA by cultured human luteinized granulosa cells (GC) for at least 10 days. Without HCG VEGF/VPF expression declined after day 4 and by day 10 was reduced to approximately 30% of the value at day 4. However, after culture in the presence of 1 U/ml human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), expression of VEGF/VPF mRNA by GC was four times greater than control experiments by day 10, and increased 100% from day 4 to day 10. Simultaneously, HCG supplementation increased VEGF/VPF secretion by GC. Medium VEGF/VPF on day 3 was 13 pM without and 11 pM with HCG. Medium VEGF/VPF on day 10 was 6 pM without HCG and 29 pM with HCG. These results suggest that vascularization of the corpus luteum is induced by HCG-mediated effects of VEGF/VPF.      

Biological resurfacing of the knee: a review of surgical management

Lesions of the articular surfaces of the knee have been managed by various techniques over the last 50 years. Surgical management has involved: excising the damaged area, refashioning the underlying bone to produce a fibrous response, and introducing allograft, autograft and synthetic materials to encourage a repair matrix. The techniques and their pitfalls are reviewed and discussed, and suggestions made as to the direction of future studies for the repair of osteochondral lesions in the painful knee.     

Detection and characterization of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli from young children in Hanoi, Vietnam

Diarrhea continues to be one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among infants and children in developing countries. Escherichia coli is an emerging agent among pathogens that cause diarrhea. The development of a highly applicable technique for the detection of different categories of diarrheagenic E. coli is important. We have used multiplex PCR by combining eight primer pairs specific for enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enterohemorrhagic E. coli, enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). This facilitates the identification of five different categories of diarrheagenic E. coli from stool samples in a single reaction simultaneously. The prevalences of diarrheagenic E. coli were 22.5 and 12% in the diarrhea group and the control group, respectively. Among 587 fecal samples from Vietnamese children under 5 years of age with diarrhea, this technique identified 132 diarrheagenic E. coli strains. This included 68 samples (11.6%) with EAEC, 12 samples (2.0%) with EIEC, 39 samples (6.6%) with EPEC, and 13 samples (2.2%) with ETEC. Among the 249 age-matched controls, 30 samples were positive for diarrheagenic E. coli. The distribution was 18 samples (7.2%) with EAEC, 11 samples (4.4%) with EPEC, and 1 sample (0.4%) with ETEC.