Gabriella Gita Febriana

Hemophilia is an inherited blood disorder resulting in impaired blood clotting upon vascular damage due to defective or deficient coagulation factors. The three types of hemophilia are hemophilia A, hemophilia B, and hemophilia C, which result from the defect or deficiency of factor VIII, factor IX, and factor XI respectively. Hemophilia affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, with the highest incidence in Asian countries including India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. This review encompasses the epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment for hemophilia, and the literature sources were collected from other publications, including journal articles and books.

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by the pathogenic bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) still remains a highly prevalent disease, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Due to the bacteria’s atypical cell wall structure, ability to form granuloma, and capacity to switch between replicating and non-replicating states in the host lung parenchyma, the fundamental treatment of patients diagnosed with TB involves a 6-month long daily drug administration. With Indonesia ranking among the nations with the highest TB burden worldwide, there has been an alarming increase of drug-resistant MTb (DR-MTb) strains all over the country in recent years. However, there are currently limited studies available that highlight MTb resistance profiles across different regions within Indonesia. The major risk factors contributing to the emergence and spread of TB in Indonesia include health conditions, environmental conditions, and socioeconomic status. Furthermore, natural compounds and drug repurposing can be employed to combat the further spread of DR-MTb strains across the country, especially in rural regions.

Reports on T-cell cross-reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 epitopes in unexposed individuals have been linked with prior exposure to the human common cold coronaviruses (HCCCs). Several studies suggested that cross-reactive T-cells response to live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) such as BCG (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin), OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine), and MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) can limit the development and severity of COVID-19. This study aims to identify potential cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2, HCCCs, and LAVs in the context of T-cell epitopes peptides presented by HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) alleles of the Indonesian population. SARS-CoV-2 derived T-cell epitopes were predicted using immunoinformatics tools and assessed for their conservancy, variability, and population coverage. Two fully conserved epitopes with 100% similarity and nine heterologous epitopes with identical T-cell receptor (TCR) contact residues were identified from the ORF1ab fragment of SARS-CoV-2 and all HCCCs. Cross-reactive epitopes from various proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and LAVs were also identified (15 epitopes from BCG, 7 epitopes from MMR, but none from OPV). A majority of the identified epitopes were observed to belong to ORF1ab, further suggesting the vital role of ORF1ab in the coronaviruses family and suggesting it as a candidate for a potential universal coronavirus vaccine that protects against severe disease by inducing cell mediated immunity.