Distribution of human papillomavirus among Vietnamese women with cervical cancer and unusual genetic variability of HPV16.

HPV16, with typical mutations that differ in geographical distribution and carcinogenic potency, has implications for cervical cancer screening, clinical diagnosis, and treatment. DNASTAR and MEGA were used to identify HPV16 variants and construct a phylogenetic tree. The most prevalent HPV genotypes were HPV16 (63.9%), HPV18 (26.7%), and other HPV (6.9%). HPV16 alterations were found in all E6, E7, and L1 genes, including 15 missense and 18 synonymous mutations. Missense mutations include R10G, Q14H, D25E, H78Y, L83V (E6); M29V, R35K, L78R, L95P (E7); H73Y, T176 N, N178T, T317P, T386S, L472F/I (L1). HPV16 sublineages include A1 (17.2%), A2 (0.9%), A3 (56.0%), A4 (19.0%), D1 (4.3%), and D3 (2.6%). Although several mutations in the oncoproteins E6, E7, and L1 have been detected, mutations known to be associated with cervical cancer risk, such as D25E and L83V, occur at a relatively low frequency. This suggests that HPV16 mutations are associated with cervical cancer through a complicated mechanism.

Lung abnormalities on computed tomography of Vietnamese patients with COVID-19 and the association with medical variables.

Objectives: Patients with COVID-19 may experience a lung injury without presenting clinical symptoms. Early detection of lung injury in patients with COVID-19 is required to enhance prediction and prevent severe progression. Methods: Lung lesions in patients with COVID-19 were defined using the Fleischner Society terminology. Chest computed tomography lesions and their correlation with demographic characteristics and medical variables were identified. Results: Patients with mild and moderate COVID-19 had up to 45% lung injuries, whereas critical patients had 55%. However, patients with mild and moderate COVID-19 typically had low-level lung injuries. Ground-glass (68.1%), consolidation (48.8%), opacity (36.3%), and nodular (6.9%) lung lesions were the most prevalent in patients with COVID-19. Patients with COVID-19 infected with the Delta variant had worse lung injury than those infected with the Alpha and Omicron. People vaccinated with ≥2 doses showed a lower risk of lung injury than those vaccinated with <1 dose. Patients <18 years old were less likely to have a lung injury than patients >18 years old. The treatment outcomes were unaffected by the severity of the lung injury. Conclusion: Patients with mild COVID-19 had a similar risk of lung injury as patients with severe COVID-19. Thus, using chest computed tomography to detect lung injury can enhance the treatment outcomes and reduce the patient's risk of pulmonary complications.

High frequency of microsatellite instability and its substantial co-existence with KRAS and BRAF mutations in Vietnamese patients with colorectal cancer.

Tumor heterogeneity and resistance to chemotherapy have been recognized as two major obstacles in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Microsatellite instability (MSI) and KRAS and BRAF mutations are common diagnostic factors that have been widely used to classify CRC for therapeutics. In the present study, 151 patients with CRC were analyzed from the two most populous ethnic groups of Vietnam, Kinh and Muong, for their MSI status, frequency of KRAS and BRAF mutations, and their clinical implications. MSI-high (MSI-H) was detected in 45.0% (68/151), while mutated KRAS and BRAF were identified in 37.1% (56/151) and 2.6% (4/151) of the cases, respectively. There was a substantial co-existence of MSI-H with KRAS (27/56; 48.2%) and BRAF (3/4; 75.0%) mutations. Statistical analysis showed that MSI-H tumors were significantly associated with colon location (P=0.011) and more advanced T stages (P=0.016). KRAS exon 2 mutations were significantly more likely to be detected in patients who belonged to the Muong ethnic group (P=0.013) or those with no/fewer lymph node metastasis (P=0.048) as compared with their counterparts. In summary, the data revealed typical molecular features of Vietnamese patients with CRC, including a strikingly high rate of MSI-H and its high co-existence with KRAS and BRAF mutations, which should be carefully considered in the future therapeutics for this type of cancer.