Correlation between serum 25(OH)D levels with severity of work-related hand eczema among healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study.

Hand eczema (HE) is a common condition seen in medical facilities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of vitamin D on skin inflammation are diverse. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between vitamin D levels in healthcare workers as determined by serum 25(OH)D and the severity of HE. In Indonesia, between September and October of 2022, a cross-sectional design was employed for this analytical descriptive study. The hand eczema severity index was used to determine the severity of HE. Out of the 44 healthcare workers who had HE, the findings indicated that 29 had mild HE, 11 had moderate HE, and 4 had severe HE. Subjects with mild, moderate, and severe HE had mean serum 25(OH)D levels of 17.85 ng/mL, 16.45 ng/mL, and 17.87 ng/mL, respectively, falling into the vitamin D deficiency category. Serum 25(OH)D levels and the severity of HE did not significantly correlate (r=-0.056; p=0.359). Serum 25(OH)D levels did not significantly differ between subjects with mild, moderate, and severe HE. The degree of HE was not negatively correlated with serum 25(OH)D levels.

Association between serum level of vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) and plasma level of vitamin D receptor with bacteriological index in leprosy patients.

Macrophages respond against Mycobacterium leprae infection through interacting with vitamin D and vitamin D receptor (VDR). There has been no study analyzing the association between vitamin D and VDR with bacteriological index (BI) in leprosy patients in Indonesia. To analyze the serum level of 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and plasma level of VDR as well as their association with BI in leprosy patients in Indonesia. This is a cross-sectional study. Serum level of 25(OH)D was assessed with in vitro chemiluminescent immunoassay. Plasma level of VDR was assessed with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. Median serum level of 25(OH)D was 12.68 ng/mL. There was no correlation between serum level of 25(OH)D and BI (r=0.033; p=0.869). Median plasma level of VDR was 1.36 ng/mL. There was no correlation between plasma level of VDR and BI (r=- 0.063; p=0.749) and no significant association between BI and serum level of 25(OH) and plasma level of VDR (R2=0.055). There was no association between serum level of 25(OH)D and plasma level of VDR with BI in leprosy patients.

Conformity of yaws clinical features to combined rapid diagnostic test in children aged 2-15 years in an endemic area.

INTRODUCTION: The diagnosis of yaws is established by clinical examination and confirmed through a laboratory test. Unrecognized lesions may lead to a missed opportunity for diagnosis and complete eradication of yaws. The use of Dual Path Platform (DPP® RDT) Syphilis Screen and Confirm RDT (Chembio, Medford, New York) has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for endemic areas with limited laboratory facilities. To date, there have not been any studies assessing the conformity of clinical features based on the WHO guidelines with DPP® RDT. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the conformity of yaws clinical features based on the WHO guidelines to the DPP® RDT. We recruited children aged 2-15 years old in Alor, Indonesia. All subjects underwent clinical examination and were tested with DPP® RDT. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the overall agreement between the clinical features and the DPP® RDT results. RESULTS: A total of 197 study subjects (mean age 9 years) were enrolled. The most frequent skin lesion was a yaws scar (79.7%). Eight subjects (3%) were diagnosed with yaws based on the DPP® RDT examination. The overall agreement between clinical features and DPP® RDT was 26.9% (p = 0.202). CONCLUSIONS: The conformity of clinical features in suspected yaws to DPP® RDT is low; thus, clinical features should not be used as a sole initial reference in establishing yaws diagnosis, even in endemic areas.

Characteristics of Grade 2 Disability in Indonesian Children with Leprosy: A Five-Year Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: One of the indicators of achieved leprosy control is lower new cases of leprosy with grade 2 disability (G2D), while zero new pediatric case with G2D is one of the targets of The Global Leprosy Strategy. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of leprosy in children with G2D from seven provincial hospitals in Indonesia, spanning a period of five years. METHODS: This was a descriptive and retrospective study with cross-sectional design. Data were obtained from the medical records of leprosy-affected children in seven provincial hospitals in Indonesia between January 2014 and December 2019 using a total sampling method. Data obtained include characteristics of patients, clinical manifestations, and profile of leprosy in children with G2D. RESULTS: From the 132 data of childhood leprosy retrieved, male (58.33%), age group of 13-14 years (47.73%), and borderline tuberculoid leprosy (34.09%) comprised the majority of patients. Most of the patients had anesthetic macules as the initial manifestation. The results showed 20 (15.15%) children had G2D. Hands were the most common site affected (50.00%), manifested as claw hands, contractures, atrophy of thenar and hypothenar muscles, and pseudomutilation. Foot drop was seen in five (62.50%) children, and lagophthalmos was seen in one child with leprosy. CONCLUSION: This study shows that G2D is observed in 15.15% Indonesian children with leprosy at the time of diagnosis, which mostly occurs on the hands in the form of claw hands. Foot disabilities were also observed, most commonly as foot drop, while lagophthalmos was present with disabilities in the eyes. Disability due to leprosy in children really exists. The commitment of all health care services and related institutions is needed in order to reduce the incidence of disability due to leprosy in children.

A comparative study of melasma severity after hyperthyroid therapy in hyperthyroid subjects with melasma.

INTRODUCTION: Melasma, and its variant chloasma, is an acquired and chronic disorder of hyperpigmentation, characterized by symmetrical hypermelanoses of the face. The exact pathogenesis of melasma remains unclear. Several hormones are thought to play a role, including thyroid hormones. The study's objectives are to determine the proportion of melasma cases in hyperthyroid patients and to compare the severity of melasma before and after medications of hyperthyroid therapy. METHODS: A quasi-experimental (pre-post intervention) study was conducted in Jakarta from August 2019 to February 2020. Twenty-three patients either newly diagnosed with hyperthyroidism or that had undergone hyperthyroid therapy for a maximum of 3 months and also had melasma were recruited. The severity of melasma was scored with the modified Melasma Area and Severity Index (mMASI), and dermoscopy of the lesions was performed. The evaluation was performed after 3 months of hyperthyroid therapy. RESULTS: Among the 69 hyperthyroid patients, 45 (65%) had melasma. The mean difference in the mMASI score was 0.49 (p > 0.05). Dermoscopy features did not show any differences between the start and end of the study. CONCLUSIONS: There is no significant improvement of melasma severity in hyperthyroid patients after 3 months of hyperthyroid therapy.

Combination treatment with light emitting diode and wound dressings in a patient with a venous leg ulcer: a case report.

Leg ulcers are a problem often found in the adult population, with a prevalence of 1 to 2% in the population. Vascular disease is the most common cause. Venous disorders that occur in the lower limbs are the main cause of lower leg ulcers compared to other vascular disorders. Emerging wounds can cause pain, thereby interfering with quality of life. These conditions often persist for a long time, and they can be a health problem that leads to an economic burden as a result of a long period of wound care. Several therapeutic methods that can be chosen for wound healing purposes include light-emitting diodes (LED) and wound dressings. LED can have physiological effects such as anti-inflammatory resolution, neoangiogenesis, fibroblast and epithelial proliferation, and collagen synthesis and deposition. Furthermore, wound dressings provide an optimal condition for wound healing by creating a moist and clean environment for the wound. We present the case of a 47-year-old man with a venous leg ulcer that was treated with LED and wound dressings. After the patient underwent the eighteenth LED session, combined with wound dressings, the size, depth, and pain of the venous leg ulcer decreased.

Prognostic factors influencing the treatment outcome of onychomycosis Candida.

Onychomycosis contributes as many as half of all nail disorder cases. In 2017, the incidence of onychomycosis was 15% of all dermatomycosis cases at our hospital, a tertiary hospital in Indonesia, with only 25% of the patients achieving mycological cure. This study aims to identify the prognostic factors influencing the treatment outcome of onychomycosis Candida. This is a retrospective study, using data obtained from outpatient registry at our hospital. Fifty-four onychomycosis patients were included in this study. Potential prognostic factors were analysed by STATA15.0. Retrospective analysis with cox proportional-hazard was used to measure the contribution of each variable to the treatment's outcome. Onset of disease, history of nail disorder, and site of infection were not associated with mycological cure (P > .05). Based on retrospective analysis, age[odds ratio (OR)1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI)1.07-2.03], onset of disease (OR 1.14; 95%CI 1.11-1.17), comorbidities (OR 1.07; 95%CI 1.03-1.11), type of onychomycosis (OR 1.08; 95%CI 1.05-1.16), site of infection (OR 1.12; 95%CI 1.04-1.22) and number of infected nails (OR 1.50; 95%CI 1.25-1.68) were significantly associated with poor treatment outcome, while type of treatment and type of systemic agents showed no significant association with the outcome. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that subjects elderly age and more than 3 infected nails had the lowest median survival. Elderly, longer onset, presence of comorbidities, multiple sites of infection, and high number of infected nails can affect the mycological cure negatively. Unstandardised treatment was associated with the mycological cure despite not affecting the prognosis. Therefore, the management's goal is to identify these specific prognostic features.