GALAD score and a proposal for GALADUS model for detecting hepatocellular carcinoma in Vietnamese patients with chronic liver disease.

OBJECTIVE: The GALAD score, a serum biomarker-based model, predicts the likelihood of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic liver disease. We evaluated the performance of the GALAD score compared to that of liver ultrasound in detecting HCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study recruited a group of 136 patients with HCC and a control group of 436 patients with cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C. The performance of the GALAD score and ultrasound in detecting HCC in these patients was analyzed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The sensitivity and specificity of the optimal GALAD score were compared to those of ultrasound. RESULTS: The AUC of the GALAD score for detecting HCC was 0.940 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92-0.96], higher than that of ultrasound [0.939 (0.91-0.96), p < 0.001]. At a threshold of 1.24, the GALAD score had a sensitivity of 91.2% and a specificity of 81.9% for detecting HCC. The AUC of the GALAD score for early HCC detection was 0.75 (95% CI 0.71-0.80, p < 0.001; threshold 1.13, sensitivity 87.5%, specificity 67.8%, p < 0.001). The combination of GALAD and ultrasound (GALADUS score) showed further improvement, achieving an AUC of 0.97 (95% CI 0.96-0.99; cut-off point 1.37, sensitivity 95.6%, specificity 89.2%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the GALADUS score showed improved performance compared to the GALAD score. Therefore, we suggest that the performance of the GALAD score should be reconsidered and that it should be evaluated in combination with ultrasound for HCC detection.

Accuracy of the health information system on malaria surveillance in Vietnam.

The health information system (HIS) is a key component of control programs and its accuracy is necessary for the assessment of disease risks, the formulation of priorities and the evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of different interventions. In order to assess the quality of the HIS in estimating malaria morbidity in Vietnam, we compared data obtained by a 2-year active (ACD) and passive case detection (PCD) study with those routinely collected at the local commune health centres (CHC) at three sites having different malaria epidemiology. The majority of malaria cases (80-95%) detected by ACD were missed by the HIS. Similarly, most malaria cases (50-90%) detected by PCD were also missed by the HIS, and this was proportional to the number of active private practitioners. Reasons for this low sensitivity are low CHC attendance, high attendance at private health facilities, widespread self-medication and attendance at central health facilities. In conclusion, although malaria has sharply decreased in Vietnam over the past 10 years, the current HIS greatly underestimates the malaria burden. Involvement of the private sector and the establishment of sentinel sites might improve the quality of data and the relevance of HIS in malaria control.

Yield of chest radiograph in tuberculosis screening for HIV-infected persons at a district-level HIV clinic.

SETTING: An Hoa Clinic, a district-level human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinic in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. OBJECTIVE: To assess the performance of chest radiograph (CXR) in screening for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among HIV-infected individuals and identify misdiagnosed opportunities. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 397 HIV-infected patients consecutively enrolled at the An Hoa Clinic in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, from August 2009 to June 2010. The performance of CXR in TB screening was assessed based on its sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio. RESULTS: Symptom screening alone missed 50% of PTB cases. The combination of CXR and symptom screening yielded an additional 28.6% (8/28) in PTB screening as compared with symptom screening alone, and should be applied routinely, especially in high TB prevalent settings. CONCLUSION: CXR is a good predictor for PTB even in HIV-infected individuals. The combination of CXR and screening for common TB symptoms considerably improved the sensitivity of detecting active PTB in people living with HIV. If available, routine sputum culture and the World Health Organization-endorsed Xpert(®) MTB/RIF assay should be implemented to achieve a more accurate diagnosis.

Improving the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected individuals in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

SETTING: District 6, An Hoa Clinic in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Viet Nam. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of various algorithms in tuberculosis (TB) screening and diagnosis in a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected population in HCMC, Viet Nam. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of 397 consecutive HIV-infected patients seeking care at the An Hoa Clinic from August 2009 to June 2010. Data on participant demographics, clinical status, chest radiography (CXR) and laboratory results were collected. A multiple logistic regression model was developed to assess the association of covariates and pulmonary TB (PTB). RESULTS: The prevalence of sputum culture-confirmed PTB, acid-fast bacilli (AFB) positive TB, and multidrugresistant TB among the 397 HIV-infected patients was respectively 7%, 2%, and 0.3%. Adjusted odds ratios for low CD4+ cell count, positive sputum smear, and CXR to positive sputum culture were respectively 3.17, 32.04 and 4.28. Clinical findings alone had poor sensitivity, but combining CD4+ cell count, AFB sputum smear and CXR had a more accurate diagnostic performance. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that symptom screening had poor clinical performance, and support the routine use of sputum culture to improve the detection of TB disease in HIV-infected individuals in Viet Nam. However, when routine sputum culture is not available, an algorithm combining CD4+ cell count, AFB sputum smear and CXR is recommended for diagnosing PTB.

Malaria epidemiology in a rural area of the Mekong Delta: a prospective community-based study.

Over the past 10 years, the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam has experienced fast socio-economic development with subsequent changes in malaria vectors ecology. We conducted a 2-year prospective community-based study in a coastal rural area in the southern Mekong Delta to re-assess the malaria epidemiological situation and the dynamics of transmission. The incidence rate of clinical malaria, established on 558 individuals followed for 23 months by active case detection and biannual cross-sectional surveys, was 2.6/100 person-years. Over the 2-year study period, the parasite rate and malaria seroprevalence (Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax) decreased significantly from 2.4% to almost 0%. Passive case detection (PCD) of clinical cases and serological follow-up of newborns carried out in a larger population confirmed the low and decreasing trend of malaria transmission. The majority of fever cases were seen in the private sector and most were unnecessarily treated with antimalarials. Training and involvement of the private sector in detection of malaria cases would greatly improve the quality of health care and health information system.