INTRODUCTION:Leprosy is a chronic infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Selenium, on the other hand, is a substance, which is needed for its protective role against microorganism infection.AIM:This study aims to know the association between selenium serum levels with bacteriological index.METHODS:This is an analytical cross-sectional study model. Sampling was done with consecutive sampling method in Pirngadi General Hospital, Lau Simomo Leprosy Hospital and H. Adam Malik General Hospital. Samples were taken from patients’ venous blood serum then selenium levels were measured.RESULTS:This study found 30 leprosy patients consisted of 19 patients with paucibacillary (PB) leprosy and 11 patients with multibacillary (MB) leprosy. Selenium serum levels of patients with PB leprosy (mean = 97.16 µg/dL) were found to be significantly higher than MB leprosy (mean = 77.27 µg/dL) with p = 0.008 using t-test. The negative correlation between selenium serum levels with bacterial index in patients with leprosy was also found in this study using Spearman’s rho test (r = - 0.499, p = 0.005).CONCLUSIONS:Selenium serum levels of patients with PB leprosy are higher than patients with MB leprosy, and high bacteriological index in patients with leprosy were correlated with low selenium serum levels.

Dermatitis kontak adalah peradangan yang disebabkan oleh kontak terhadap substansi yang menempel pada kulit. Salah satu bahan yang dapat menyebabkan dermatitis kontak adalah deterjen yang biasa digunakan para pekerja di dalam usaha binatu. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tingkat pengetahuan dan sikap pekerja binatu terhadap dermatitis kontak di kelurahan Padang Bulan tahun 2017. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian deskriptif dengan desain potong lintang. Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan Juli – Desember tahun 2017 terhadap pekerja binatu di Kelurahan Padang Bulan sesuai dengan kriteria inklusi. Pengetahuan dan sikap pekerja binatu dinilai dengan menggunakan kuesioner yang telah divalidasi. Sebanyak 33 pekerja binatu dijumpai tingkat pengetahuan terhadap penyebab dermatitis kontak yaitu cukup (63,6%), baik (27,3%), kurang (6,1%), terhadap gejala dermatitis kontak dijumpai baik (39,4%), kurang (36,4%), cukup (24,3%), terhadap penanggulangan dermatitis kontak dijumpai cukup (66,7%), baik (30,3%), kurang (3,0%) dan secara keseluruhan dijumpai cukup (66,7%), baik (27,3%), dan kurang (6,1%). Tingkat sikap pekerja binatu terhadap penyebab dermatitis kontak yaitu baik (45,5%), cukup (33,3%), kurang (21,2%), terhadap gejala dermatitis kontak dijumpai cukup (42,4%), baik (33,3%), kurang (24,2%), terhadap penanggulangan dermatitis kontak dijumpai kurang (39,4%), cukup (36,4%), baik (24,2%), dan secara keseluruhan dijumpai cukup (63,6%), baik (18,2%) dan kurang (18,2%). Sebagian besar pekerja binatu di Kelurahan Padang Bulan memiliki tingkat pengetahuan dan sikap cukup terhadap dermatitis kontak.Kata kunci: dermatitis kontak, pekerja binatu, pengetahuan, sikap.

BACKGROUND:Tinea cruris is the second most common dermatophytosis in the world and the most common in Indonesia. The conventional laboratory tests for dermatophyte infection are slow and less specific. Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) is a PCR method with the addition of enzyme after amplification, therefore enabling for more specific results.AIM:This study aimed to find whether the PCR-RFLP test could yield the same fungal species result as a fungal culture.METHODS:The specimens were skin scrapings from thirty-one patients suspected tinea cruris. The tools and materials that were used were Sabaroud’s dextrose agar media, primer ITS 1 and ITS 4 and MvaI.RESULTS:The equation percentage of the test result species between PCR-RFLP and fungal culture was 50% of 12 subjects whose the test results were both positive from the fungal culture and PCR-RFLP. The percentage of the test result with fungal culture the fungal species were found, but in the PCR-RFLP test which the fungal species was not found, the percentage was 50% of 12 subjects which the test results were both positive as fungi from the culture and PCR-RFLP test.CONCLUSIONS:The species from PCR-RFLP examination was the same with the fungal culture.

Skin damage among healthcare workers has been reported by many centers around the world. Occupational hand dermatitis is one of the most commonly known occupational skin diseases and a socially significant health issue. The use of gloves is one of the risk factors for the occurrence and/or aggravation of hand dermatitis. This cross-sectional study involved healthcare workers in 14 referral hospitals for COVID-19 throughout Indonesia. Questionnaires were distributed to the participants, which consisted of the subject’s characteristics, glove-related skin problems, history of glove use, and clinical history. This study involved a total of 845 healthcare workers. Approximately 156 healthcare workers (18.46%) had glove-induced hand dermatitis during the pandemic. Itchy skin was the most common symptom (44.23%), and the palm was the most frequently complained area (48.72%). There was a significant association between glove use and glove-induced hand dermatitis among healthcare workers. In particular, equal to or more than 2 hours per day of glove use was significantly associated with hand dermatitis. Glove-induced hand dermatitis also had a significant association with the subject’s history of atopic dermatitis and previous history of hand dermatitis. The use of gloves by healthcare workers should be considered carefully, especially in individuals at increased risk, including those who use gloves for 2 hours or more per day and those who have a history of atopic or hand dermatitis, in order to prevent the incidence of glove-induced hand dermatitis among healthcare workers, as well as to provide a safe working environment.