Publications by authors named "Leon B"

Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) are sentinels of the mammalian immune system that sense a wide range of danger and homeostatic signals to induce appropriately targeted T cell immune responses. Traditionally classified into two main subsets, cDC1 and cDC2, recent research shows that cDC2s exhibit significant heterogeneity and can be further subdivided. Studies in mice and humans show that, beyond their ontogeny, cDC2s acquire dynamic and tissue-specific characteristics that are influenced by local environmental signals, which impact on their functions during homeostasis, inflammation, and infection.

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Introduction: Preoperative expectations are a determinant of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) within several orthopaedic subspecialties. However, the impact on outcomes after hip arthroscopy is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between preoperative patient expectations and PROs after hip arthroscopy.

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Introduction: This patient safety and quality improvement report outlines the successful reduction of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) through a comprehensive interdisciplinary team approach. It emphasizes the implementation of best practices and the involvement of both patients and their families in catheter care. The project was conducted at Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City, the largest rehabilitation facility in the Middle East, with 511 beds and over 20 inpatient units.

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The expansion of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells correlates with disease progression in human and murine systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Unfortunately, there are no therapies to deplete Tfh cells. Importantly, low-dose rIL-2-based immunotherapy shows potent immunosuppressive effects in SLE patients and lupus-prone mice, primarily attributed to the expansion of regulatory T cells (Tregs).

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Objective: Postoperative day-one discharge is used as a quality-of-care indicator after carotid revascularization. This study identifies predictors of prolonged length of stay (pLOS), defined as a postprocedural LOS of >1 day, after elective carotid revascularization.

Methods: Patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA), transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR), and transfemoral carotid artery stenting (TFCAS) in the Vascular Quality Initiative between 2016 and 2022 were included in this analysis.

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Introduction: The term "Rhupus" was employed to descriptively illustrate the overlap observed in some pediatric patients displaying features of both juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although "Rhupus" is traditionally used in adults, we applied it broadly to emphasize this clinical overlap.

Methods: We sought to identify studies that registered signs, symptoms, imaging characteristics, and treatments given to patients with JIA and SLE.

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Aims: This research assessed the safety of aqueous ozone (AO) on human skin after multiple exposures for up to 40 hours.

Methods And Results: Full thickness recombinant human skin (EpiDerm FT, EFT-400) was exposed to AO for 7 seconds per minute for the first 6 minutes of each hour, repeated hourly over four time periods (4, 10, 20 and 40 hours). An MTT assay assessed viability of skin cells after exposure, compared to incubator control, negative control and vehicle control (distilled water).

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Purpose: Nocturia significantly impacts patients' quality of life but remains insufficiently evaluated and treated. The "Sleep C.A.

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Bladder cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Treatment decisions are mostly decided based on disease stage (non-muscle invasive or muscle invasive). Patients with muscle-invasive disease will be offered a radical treatment combined with systemic therapy, while in those with non-muscle-invasive disease, an attempt to resect the tumor endoscopically will usually be followed by different intravesical instillations.

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Article Synopsis
  • The research focuses on designing molecular glues (MGs) that bind to cereblon (CRBN) and selectively recruit desired proteins while avoiding the degradation of SALL4, which is teratogenic.
  • Previous findings indicate that SALL4 is degraded by IKZF1 degraders like pomalidomide and CC-220, but the interaction between SALL4 and CRBN is complex.
  • Biophysical studies show that specific zinc finger domains (ZF1 and ZF2) of SALL4 interact with different parts of cereblon, affecting the stability and potency of these interactions, and could lead to better therapeutic designs that minimize unwanted effects on SALL4.
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CD4 T-helper cell type 2 (Th2) cells mediate host defense against extracellular parasites, like helminths. However, Th2 cells also play a pivotal role in the onset and progression of allergic inflammatory diseases such as atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and food allergy. This happens when allergens, which are otherwise harmless foreign proteins, are mistakenly identified as "pathogenic.

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Lung-resident memory B cells (lung-BRMs) differentiate into plasma cells after reinfection, providing enhanced pulmonary protection. Here, we investigated the determinants of lung-BRM differentiation upon influenza infection. Kinetic analyses revealed that influenza nucleoprotein (NP)-specific BRMs preferentially differentiated early after infection and required T follicular helper (Tfh) cell help.

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Introduction: Data from patient cohorts and mouse models of atopic dermatitis, food allergy and asthma strongly support a role for chitinase-3-like-1 protein (CHI3L1) in allergic disease.

Methods: To address whether Chi3l1 also contributes to T2 responses following nematode infection, we infected mice with () and analyzed T cell responses.

Results: As anticipated, we observed impaired T2 responses in -infected mice.

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The cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) presents unique restrictions to antibiotic penetration. As a consequence, Bcc species are notorious for causing recalcitrant multidrug-resistant infections in immunocompromised individuals. Here, we present the results of a genome-wide screen for cell envelope-associated resistance and susceptibility determinants in a Burkholderia cenocepacia clinical isolate.

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Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened awareness of the need for novel surface disinfectants and hand-hygiene modalities. Ozone gas is an effective surface disinfectant, but toxicity limits its use in human applications. Ozonated water is a safer means to use ozone for disinfection, especially for human antisepsis.

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Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) can integrate multiple stimuli from the environment and provide three separate outputs in terms of antigen presentation, costimulation, and cytokine production; this guides the activation, expansion, and differentiation of distinct functional T helper subsets. Accordingly, the current dogma posits that T helper cell specification requires these three signals in sequence. Data show that T helper 2 (Th2) cell differentiation requires antigen presentation and costimulation from cDCs but does not require polarizing cytokines.

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Defective interleukin-6 (IL-6) signaling has been associated with Th2 bias and elevated IgE levels. However, the underlying mechanism by which IL-6 prevents the development of Th2-driven diseases remains unknown. Using a model of house dust mite (HDM)-induced Th2 cell differentiation and allergic airway inflammation, we showed that IL-6 signaling in allergen-specific T cells was required to prevent Th2 cell differentiation and the subsequent IgE response and allergic inflammation.

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Several β-lactam derivatives upregulate astrocytic glutamate transporter type 1expression and are known to improve measures in models of mood and alcohol use disorders (AUD) through normalizing glutamatergic states. However, long-term, and high doses of β-lactams may cause adverse side effects for treating mood disorders and AUD. Studies suggest that MC-100093, a novel β-lactam lacking antimicrobial activity, rescues GLT1 expression.

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The use of Critical Race Theory, Photovoice, and Community-Based Participatory Research has helped uncover the root causes of issues such as systemic racism in the fields of public health and health promotion. Often, we see studies using traditional research methods to investigate potential causal factors of disparities in minoritized communities report only quantitative data. While these data are imperative for understanding the severity of disparities, quantitative-only approaches cannot address nor can they improve the critical root causes of these disparities.

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Burkholderia contaminans, a species of the Burkholderia cepacia complex-prevalent in certain Latin-American and European countries-can cause chronic pulmonary infection in persons with cystic fibrosis. Our aim was to gain insights into long-term lung infections with a focus on correlating how bacterial phenotypic traits in the chronic infection impact on patients' clinical outcome. Genotypic characteristics of 85 B.

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Objectives: Satoyoshi syndrome is a rare multisystem disease of presumed autoimmune aetiology. We carried out a systematic review to evaluate the available evidence to support that autoimmune hypothesis.

Methods: We searched for Satoyoshi syndrome cases in PubMed, the Web of Science and Scopus up to January 2022, using keywords 'Satoyoshi syndrome' or 'Komuragaeri disease'.

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Objective: The purpose of this project was to implement a remote fetal surveillance unit with increased vigilance and timelier responses to electronic fetal monitor tracings to improve neonatal outcomes and increase safety.

Methods: A pilot project, OB HUB, facilitated implementation of a centralized remote fetal surveillance unit including artificial intelligence software and nurse experts dedicated to fetal monitoring interpretation. A telemetry room was established.

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