Severe α-Thalassemia Intermedia Due to a Compound Heterozygosity for the Highly Unstable Hb Adana (HBA2: c.179G>A) and a Novel Codon 24 (HBA2: c.75T>A) Mutation

We report a novel mutation at codon 24 of the α2-globin gene (HBA2: c.75T?>?A) found in a Sundanese family. This novel mutation was detected during prenatal diagnosis. The couple already had a 7-year-old boy who exhibited clinically severe α-thalassemia intermedia (α-TI), and he was found to be a compound heterozygote for the novel mutation at codon 24 and the previously described Hb Adana (HBA2: c.179G?>?A) at codon 59 of the α2-globin gene. The father was a carrier of the novel point mutation and showed normal hemoglobin (Hb) and a low mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular Hb (MCH) value.     

Management of hyperhidrosis axillaris.

To many people, particularly women, hyperhidrosis of the axillae is a personal discomfort and a social handicap. Previously practiced topical and internal medicinal measures and surgical techniques of management are reviewed and a modified surgical technique is described.     

The knowledge of parents of children with diarrhea on oralit at the department of child health, Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital Medan

Over the October 1-December 30, 1981 period, the parents of all inpatients and outpatients at the Department of Child Health, Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital Medan (Indonesia) were interviewed to assess their knowledge or oralit, an oral rehydration treatment. The interviewer asked the educational level of the parents, knowledge and use of oralit, source of information, where oralit was obtained, and whether or not oralit is kept at home. 285 parents were interviewed. 227 had knowledge of oralit, but only 153 had used it; 58 had never heard of it. The primary information source was doctors (63.9%); newspapers and magazines (1.8%) had a minor role. Dispensaries (86.9%) were the places where people obtained oralit easily. Only 74 (48.3%) of the users kept oralit at home; 41 sometimes had it available; and 38 (24.9%) never had it. The main reason (44.3%) why the parents of children with diarrhea never kept it at home was the easy availability of oralit. Of 128 patients who sought treatment from medical staff (doctors and nurses) before they came to the hospital to be treated as inpatients or outpatients, 49% of the doctors and 50% of the nurses did not give oralit beforehand. The promotion of oralit would be more successful if village leaders, teachers, youths, and women's organizations participated in the program.     

Circumcision: a review and a new technique

Numerous techniques for circumcision have been described in the literature. They range from the dorsal slit incision, the squeeze technique using the Gomco clamp or Plastibell, the sleeve resection technique, and the guillotine technique. An alternative technique, which has not been previously described, is presented.     

Phenotypic variability of Filipino β°-thalassemia/HbE patients in Indonesia

Three Indonesian patients with identical genotypes, each compound heterozygotes for Filipino β°-thalassemia/HbE, expressed different clinical severities. One patient has mild disease and is transfusion independent, while the other two are severely affected and transfusion dependent. The size of the Filipino β°-globin gene deletion was confirmed to be 45 kb, resolving conflicting values given in the literature. Neither ameliorating genetic factors such as α-globin gene deletions or the XmnI restriction site polymorphism at position -158 upstream of the ^Gγ-globin gene, nor differences in β-globin gene haplotype, explain the phenotypic variation. These observations have implications for the development of antenatal diagnosis in Indonesia, as at present it is not possible to give an accurate prediction of severity of phenotype for this common genotype. Am. J. Hematol. 62:7–12, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Occult hepatitis B in blood donors in Indonesia: altered antigenicity of the hepatitis B virus surface protein

Background and aims  

Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) poses a challenge to the safety of blood donation. The prevalence of OBI is not well documented in Indonesia, although this information in such an endemic country is needed. This study was aimed to evaluate the prevalence of occult hepatitis B in blood donors from two cities of Indonesia, and to study the genetic variation and its effect on the predicted antigenicity of HBsAg.