Publications by authors named "Hajjar S"

Cancer treatment has been rapidly transformed by the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1. However, many patients fail to respond, especially those with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), suggesting the existence of additional immune checkpoints that act through orthogonal mechanisms. Sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin (Siglec)-7 and -9 are newly designated glycoimmune checkpoints that are abundantly expressed by tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells.

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  • Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes unpredictable seizures, increasing health risks for patients.
  • The study introduces a novel method called Deep Embedded Gaussian Mixture (DEGM) for detecting seizures through EEG data, combining deep learning techniques with clustering algorithms.
  • Results show DEGM significantly improves seizure detection performance on large datasets, offering better outcomes for patients and advancing research in this area.
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An interosseous ganglion cyst is a very rare entity, found mostly in skeletally mature patients, particularly in long bones such as the tibia and femur. However, we are the first to report here an unusual case of interosseous ganglion cyst of the upper ribs in a young female patient, which she had an unpredicted presentation of cough and hemoptysis and a large painful lump over the anterior left upper chest. The radiological and pathological workup confirmed the presence of a benign interosseous ganglion cyst arising from the left first rib, invading the second rib and the apex of the left lung.

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Objectives: To investigate the incidence rate, clinical characteristics across different age groups, antimicrobial susceptibility, and outcomes of () infections.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out to include 66 cases with confirmed cultures from sterile samples between January 2014 and June 2022 at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Results: A total of 66 cases were identified, with an incidence rate of 0.

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  • Inflammation is crucial for defense but has negative effects on bodily functions, and how it is monitored is not fully understood.
  • Acidic tissue environments are linked to inflammation, and this research shows that macrophages can detect acidic pH to adjust their inflammatory responses.
  • The study identifies BRD4 as a pH sensor in macrophages, and highlights the role of intracellular acidification in regulating gene transcription related to inflammation, suggesting a mechanism for controlling the inflammatory response.
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  • The study examines Omicron variant infections, focusing on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 305 patients diagnosed between January 2022 and December 2023.
  • Results show that the majority of cases were caused by the XBB variant, with a notable spike during flu season; hospitalization was recorded in 16.39% of cases, predominantly linked to certain underlying health conditions.
  • Vaccination significantly lowered the odds of hospitalization, highlighting its importance in managing severe outcomes associated with Omicron infection.
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  • Stauffer syndrome is a health condition that affects the liver and is linked to certain types of tumors, especially those in the kidneys.
  • It shows signs like yellow skin (jaundice), high liver enzymes, and sometimes a swollen liver or spleen, but not because of a blockage.
  • This syndrome can happen with other cancers too, and in one case, a 76-year-old patient had problems with both their liver and a tumor in their kidneys.
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Background: The burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in high-risk pediatric patients remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to characterize pediatric RSV cases from January 2019 to December 2022 and assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on RSV burden and RSV-related outcomes. In addition, examining factors influencing RSV-related hospitalization.

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Recently, clustering data collected from various sources has become a hot topic in real-world applications. The most common methods for multi-view clustering can be divided into several categories: Spectral clustering algorithms, subspace multi-view clustering algorithms, matrix factorization approaches, and kernel methods. Despite the high performance of these methods, they directly fuse all similarity matrices of all views and separate the affinity learning process from the multiview clustering process.

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The aim of our study was to review current concepts in targeted therapies for benign tumors of the jaw. Benign odontogenic and maxillofacial bone tumors often require radical surgery, with consequent morbidity that impacts patients' postsurgical quality of life. Currently, targeted therapies and novel nonsurgical therapeutics are being explored for management of non-resectable tumors, with the aim of avoiding surgery or minimizing surgical scope.

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pH is tightly maintained at cellular, tissue, and systemic levels, and altered pH - particularly in the acidic range - is associated with infection, injury, solid tumors, and physiological and pathological inflammation. However, how pH is sensed and regulated and how it influences immune responses remain poorly understood at the tissue level. Applying conceptual frameworks of homeostatic and inflammatory circuitries, we categorize cellular and tissue components engaged in pH regulation, drawing parallels from established cases in physiology.

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XIAP is an endogenous inhibitor of cell death and inactivating mutations of XIAP are responsible for X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP-2) and primary immunodeficiency, but the mechanism(s) behind these contradictory outcomes have been unclear. We report that during infection of macrophages and dendritic cells with various intracellular bacteria, XIAP restricts cell death and secretion of IL-1β but promotes increased activation of NFκB and JNK which results in elevated secretion of IL-6 and IL-10. Poor secretion of IL-6 by Xiap-deficient antigen presenting cells leads to poor expansion of recently activated CD8 T cells during the priming phase of the response.

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Background: Understanding the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on pregnancy outcomes and of pregnancy on COVID-19 outcomes is critical for ensuring proper prenatal and antenatal care. No similar studies have been published in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study of pregnant women with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who presented at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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Background: Triple-class relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) has a poor prognosis. This study analyzed the clinical outcomes of Belantamab mafadotin in combination with dexamethasone (Bd) in triple-class RRMM.

Methods: We identified 35 patients with triple-class RRMM who received Bd at the University of Kansas from October 2019 to November 2021.

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Case: A 29-year-old man presented 2 years after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction by autologous semitendinosus graft and suspensory fixation on both tibial and femoral sides for chronic drainage of clear fluid from an anteromedial wound at the site of the tibial tunnel with a visible sinus tract. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a transtibial articulocutaneous fistula. The patient was treated by tunnel debridement, impaction bone grafting, bioresorbable interference screw, and cement to fully seal the tunnel.

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The intestine-specific transcription factor Cdx2 is essential for intestinal homeostasis and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of disorders including inflammatory bowel disease. However, the mechanism by which Cdx2 influences intestinal disease is not clear. Here, we present evidence supporting a novel Cdx2-TRIM31-NLRP3 (NLR family, pyrin domain containing 3) signaling pathway, which may represent a mechanistic means by which Cdx2 impacts intestinal inflammation.

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Mutations in susceptibility alleles correlate with gut-inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn's disease; however, this does not often impact the disease progression indicating the existence of compensatory genes. We show that a reduction in Foxo3a expression in IL-10-deficient mice results in a spontaneous and aggressive Crohn's- like disease with 100% penetrance, which is rescued by deletion of myeloid cells, T cells and inhibition of mTORC1. In Foxo3a IL-10 mice, there is poor cell death of myeloid cells in the gut, leading to increased accumulation of myeloid and T cells in the gut.

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Introduction: Morel-Lavallée (MLL) is an uncommon entity that is missed by many physicians, it is the result of a shearing force that leads to degloving of the subcutaneous fat from the underlying deep fascia.

Case Report: We present a case of a 15-year-old male patient who presented 3 months after the initial crush injury with a large MLL lesion at the lateral aspect of the right proximal thigh. He was treated with incision and drainage with compressive dressing and a negative pressure drain.

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Osteoporosis and sarcopenia are common in older adults. Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. Bone fractures can result in changes in posture, pain, the need for surgical repair and functional impairment.

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Purpose: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) is an opportunistic and nosocomial pathogen that can cause an invasive and fatal infection, particularly in hospitalized and immunocompromised patients. However, little is known about the impact of S.

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  • The study aims to investigate the genetic and biological factors linked to sickle cell maculopathy (SCM) and to examine microvascular changes in the macula using advanced imaging techniques.
  • It involved 151 eyes from 78 adult sickle cell disease patients and 40 eyes from healthy controls, utilizing optical coherence tomography to analyze the prevalence of SCM and related parameters.
  • Findings revealed that SCM was more common in patients with the HbSS genotype, with significant associations between SCM and lower prothrombin ratios, along with insights into early microvascular changes detectable by optical coherence tomography angiography.
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