Percentage Body Fat is As a Good Indicator for Determining Adolescents Who Are Overweight or Obese: A Cross-Sectional Study in Vietnam

Le Thu Trang,Dinh-Toi Chu,Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh,Nguyen Nam Trung 질병관리본부 2019 Osong Public Health and Research Persptectives Vol.10 No.2

Objectives: To identify trends in percentage body fat (PBF) in adolescents to determine gender-specific classification thresholds for being overweight and obese. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 899 adolescents (11 to 14.5 years) from Hanoi and Nam Dinh was conducted in Vietnam. PBF, subcutaneous fat and percentage of lean mass were measured directly using OMRON HBF 375 scales to measure bioelectrical impedance. Results: PBF decreased in boys with increasing age (p < 0.001). The difference in PBF between boys and girls, significantly increased with age after 12.5 years (p < 0.001). There was a stronger correlation between PBF and fat content (Pearson’s r = 0.860, p < 0.0001) than that between (BMI) and fat content (Pearson’s r = 0.521, p < 0.0001). The prevalence of being overweight or obese in girls was similar when determined by PBF or BMI. Hanoi had higher rates of adolescents being overweight or obese compared with Nam Dinh. Conclusion: PBF provides a more accurate body assessment for being overweight or obese in adolescents compared with BMI.

Efficacy of electrochemically activated water solution in gingivitis treatment

Dinh‑Toi Chu,Van‑Huy Pham,Thien Chu‑Dinh,Truong Nhu Ngoc Vo,Duc Long Duong,Van Nhon Bui,Minh Son Tong,Thi Thu Phuong Nguyen,Quynh Anh Le,Khanh‑Hoang Nguyen 한국약제학회 2019 Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation Vol.49 No.3

Mouthwash is one of the most commonly oral healthcare products for prevention and treatment of gum diseases. Dr. ECA is a disinfectant solution manufactured by a Vietnamese company and has been licensed for oral healthcare, but its effect on gingivitis is still unclear. To evaluate the effectiveness of this product in the treatment of gingivitis, we conducted a clinical study in 60 students diagnosed with gingivitis to compare the results of gingivitis treatment using Dr. ECA and a control mouthwash (a demonstrated anti-gingivitis product). The data showed that in the treated group, the rate of good Gingivitis Index (GI) before treatment was 46.67%, but after 2 and 4 weeks of using Dr. ECA that rate was increased to 96.67% and 100%, respectively. The percentage of patients with bleeding on probing was 63.33% but declined sharply after 2 weeks of treatment to 6.67%, and further reduced to 3.33% after 4 weeks of treatment. The treatment outcomes in were similar in the Dr. ECA treated group and control one with no statistically significant difference. Our results suggest that the electrolyte saline solution Dr. ECA is effective in treating gingivitis. Its effects are similar to other mouthwash products that had been approved and marketed.

Subacute thyroiditis after receiving the vaccine for COVID-19: a case report and literature review

Thanh Binh Vu,Dinh Toi Chu,Dinh Tuan Le,Thi Thuy Dieu Hoang,Philippe Gautret,Van Thuan Hoang 대한백신학회 2022 Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research Vol.11 No.2

A 38-year-old female patient, with healthy history, was vaccinated with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Astra Zeneca Cambridge, UK). Five days after the second injection, the patient presented headache, vertigo, then fatigue, nervousness, palpitations, shortness of breath, small amplitude tremors, and sweating episodes. Laboratory investigation revealed a suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), with elevated free thyroxine. However, the TSH receptor antibody and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody were normal and thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin negative. The patient was maintained on Metoprolol, and no specific treatment was added. After 3 months of following, the patient now feels comfortable. Our literature review found that 21 cases of subacute thyroiditis (SAT) following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines were reported. Most patients were young women who presented neck pain and systemic symptoms, with or without fever. These symptoms can appear as early (3 to 5 days), or later (1 month) after vaccination, regardless of vaccine type and mechanism of action. Laboratory tests showed decreased levels of TSH and elevated thyroid hormone. The mechanism of this event remains unknown. Further study is recommended to investigate the possible predisposing factors to developing SAT after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Zein-based solid dispersion for potential application in targeted delivery

Minh Ngoc‑Uyen Nguyen,Toi Van Vo,Phuong Ha‑Lien Tran,Thao Truong‑Dinh Tran 한국약제학회 2017 Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation Vol.47 No.4

The study aims to design and evaluate the ability of zein in solid dispersion (SD) system to enhance drug dissolution rate for a further application of colonic delivery of poorly water-soluble drug. The SD samples were prepared by solvent method and the investigation of drug release was performed at pH 7.4. The wettability, molecular interactions and drug’s crystal behaviours of SDs were studied by contact angle measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), respectively. Zein-based SDs showed its potential in enhancing the rate of drug release. The PXRD results pointed out a rearrangement of drug’s crystalline structure in some SD samples through the appearance of new peaks on PXRD diffractogram, while a formation of a hydrogen bond between prednisolone (PRL) and zein was also confirmed by FTIR spectra. It was evident that a strong relationship between the amount of zein and the dissolution rate of PRL in SD system attributed to zein hydrophobicity, recrystallization and molecular interaction which were factors inducing the enhanced drug release rate. In conclusion, zein is a potential carrier for controlled release SD systems, especially further application for poorly water-soluble drugs in colonic delivery like PRL due to the resistance of zein at low pH environment.

Promising Iron Oxide-based Magnetic Nanoparticles in Biomedical Engineering

Phuong Ha-Lien Tran,Thao Truong-Dinh Tran,Toi Van Vo,이범진 대한약학회 2012 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.35 No.12

For the past few decades biomedical engineering has imprinted its significant impact on the map of science through its wide applications on many other fields. An important example obviously proving this fact is the versatile application of magnetic nanoparticles in theranostics. Due to preferable properties such as biocompatibility, non-toxicity compared to other metal derivations, iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles was chosen to be addressed in this review. Aim of this review is to give the readers a whole working window of these magnetic nanoparticles in the current context of science. Thus, preparation of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with the so-far techniques, methods of characterizing the nanoparticles as well as their most recent biomedical applications will be stated.

Childhood Obesity Is a High-risk Factor for Hypertriglyceridemia: A Case-control Study in Vietnam

Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh,Le Thi Tuyet,Duong Thi Anh Dao,Yang Tao,Dinh-Toi Chu 질병관리본부 2017 Osong Public Health and Research Persptectives Vol.8 No.2

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between dyslipidemia and obesity status among Vietnamese adolescents. Methods: In this case-control study, 282 adolescents (6–11 years), including 88 obese cases and 194 normal-weight controls, were recruited from a population-based cross-sectional study from two provinces in Vietnam. The anthropometric, blood lipid, and other laboratory test results of the study subjects were analyzed. Results: Obese children tended to have more visceral fat (Pearson’s r = 0.795, p < 0.0001) than subcutaneous fat (Pearson’s r = 0.754, p < 0.0001), and this difference was associated with an increase in blood triglyceride level (Pearson’s r = 0.232, p < 0.05) and a strikingly high rate of hypertriglyceridemia (38.6%). We also found that birth weight and parental body mass index were related to the status of obesity among the study subjects. However, only birth weight was significantly higher in the obese group than in the normal weight group. These findings indicate the effect of prenatal nutrition on childhood obesity. Furthermore, high-birth weight children had a surprisingly high rate of obesity. Conclusion: Together, our data suggest that obesity increased the risk for hypertriglyceridemia, which was, at least partially, due to prenatal nutrition.