Telbivudine \u2013 a novel nucleoside analog \u2013 has been approved for treatment of chronic hepatitis B

About 5% of the population worldwide (approximately 400 million people) is infected hepatitis B virus (HBV). Over time, 15-40% of chronic HBV-infected people developed cirrhosis. Mortality due to liver failure or other complications of cirrhosis or liver cancer is a global problem. There are about 0.5 million people newly with diagnosed liver cancer annually worldwide, HBV is one of leading causes of liver cancer, especially in the Western Pacific (in which includes Viet Nam). Limitation of HBV infection and treatment of chronic hepatitis B are important for the prevention of cirrhosis and liver cancer in areas with high HBV-infected rate. Comparison with drugs for chronic hepatitis B treatment, telbividine is a novel medicine that was approved recently for clinical trials. The article gave some results of preclinical, phase I/II, IIb, III trials and of study comparing tebivudine with adefovir dipivoxil. The mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, side-effects and anti-drug mutations of tebivudine were also mentioned. The author concluded that tebivudine had relatively high possibility of inhibiting replications, had effects for treatment of both positive and negative HBeAg chronic hepatitis B groups.

Full sequence of cagA gene and characteristics of cagA protein in five Helicobacter pylori strains in patients from Ho Chi Minh city

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains with positive cagA gene can induce an advanced severe condition of atrophic gastritis and a higher risk of gastric carcinoma than those without cagA gene. Objective: To carry out the full sequence of cagA gene and preliminary analysis, classify cagA protein in H. pylori strains in Vietnamese patients. Subjects and method: 5 patients with H. pylori strains from Ho Chi Minh city were enrolled in the study. H. pylori was cultured and determined by PCR before sequencing full cagA gene. Analyzing cagA gene and constructing phylogenetic tree using biometrics and bioinformatics software. Results: The length of open reading frame of cagA gene of H. pylori strains in Vietnamese patients was 3480-3588 base-pairs, the number of amino acid in relavant cagA protein was 1159-1195 amino acids and all cagA protein molecules belonged to East Asian cagA, none of them was Western cagA. Even with the same classification of East Asian cagA, the Japanese H. pylori strains and Vietnamese strains were located in different cluster in phylogenetic tree. Conclusion: The study suggested that H. pylori cagA proteins in patients from Ho Chi Minh city belonged to East Asian cagA.

Evaluating clinical experience from a case of hepatocellular carcinoma with combinated therapy of transarterial chemoembolization and percutaneousethanol injection afterward emerging metatasis caused by fine needle aspiration cytology

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary hepatic tumor and one of the most common cancers worldwide. HCC is a primary malignancy of hepatocellular origin. Objectives:The aim of study is to combinate therapy of transarterial chemoembolization and percutaneousethanol injection afterward emerging metatasis caused by fine needle aspiration cytology. Subjects and method: A 50 years old male patient with hepatocellular carcinoma having a diameter of tumor more than 5 cm was treated by combination of transarterial chemoembolization and percutaneous ethanol injection from December 2000. Results & Conclusion: Results of study showed that: Transarterial chemoembolization and percutaneous ethanol injection are the two of non-surgical methods for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma which are most commonly available in applied clinical activities at present. Up to now, the patient's life expectancy after therapy is more than 6 years that means the result of treatment is very good. However, the emerging metatasis into the anterior-right-Iower chest wall that was caused by fine needle aspiration cytology should be reviewed for further evaluating clinical experience, especially in cases with quite clear imaging features of untrasonography and significantly elevated AFP level higher than 200 ng/rnl.

Clinical characteristics and molecular characteristics of\r\n', u'hepatitis B virus in chronic hepatitis B virus infected patients\r\n', u'with A1899 mutation in precore region\r\n', u'

Background: Hepatitis B is an infectious illness caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) which infects the liver of hominoidea, including humans, and causes an inflammation called hepatitis. Objectives: The aim of study is to clarify clinical features and molecular characteristics of HBV in chronic HBV-infected patients with A 1899 mutation. Subjects and method: HBV genotype, HBV-ONA level, HBeAg and anti-HBe in 29 chronic HBV-infected patients were determined by PCR-RFLP, Real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. Mutations were analyzed by direct sequencing. Results: Mutations in core-promoter/precore regions of HBV genome can suppress HBeAg secretion and stimulate HBV-ONA replication. The prevalence of hepatocel- lular carcinoma (HCc): 10/29, liver cirrhosis (LC) : 15/29 are significantly higher than that in chronic hepatitis (CH) : 4/29 (P < 0.001). HbeAg seroconversion rate in CH (75%) is higher than that in HCC \r\n', u'(40%) and in LC (53.3%), but not significant (P > 0.05). ALT level is the highest in CH and the lowest in HCC \r\n', u'(P = 0.02), 8/10 (80%) HCC patients have normal range of ALT. HBV-ONA level in HCC and in LC is significantly higher than that in CH (P = 0.024). The emerging of A 1899 is often accompanied by C/G1753 mutation (37.9%) and dual core-promoter mutation T1762A1764 (79.3%). Conclusion: A1899 mutation can play a role in the pathogenesis of liver diseases in chronic HBV-infected Vietnamese.\r\n', u'

The preliminary report of occult HBV infection in Vietnamese

Background: Vietnam is located in the endemic region of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, but no data of occult HBV infection was reported at present. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of occult HBV infection in different ethnics of people and generations. Subjects and method: 80 voluteers with HbsAg negative from five different ethnics: Kinh, Tay, Mong, Giay and Dao in a Chino \ufffd?Vietnamses border province (Lao Cai) were enrolled in the study. After HBV-DNA was extracted, nested PCR of S gene and of Core-promoter/Pre-core region were used to detect HBV-DNA. Specifying nucleotide sequence was confirmed by direct sequencing. Results:The prevalence of occult HBV infection in population study was very high 73/80 (91,3%) by nested PCR of Core-promoter/Pre-core, significantly more sensitive than nested PCR of S gene (26,3%) (p<0,0001). The prevalence of occult HBV infection was notdifferent between ethnics of people or between children, adults. Conclusion: Occult HBV infection in Vietnamese is very common; however, nationwide further studies should be carried out to confirm this preliminary results and evaluate the impact of occult HBV infection in Vietnam.