Publications by authors named "Soad Haj-Yahia"

Background: Drug hypersensitivity reactions are common in pediatric hemato-oncology patients due to multiple factors including immune compromise and pharmacological complexities. Fever can signify severe delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions such as drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) or drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS). The etiology of fever as an isolated hypersensitivity reaction to chemotherapeutic agents not fully understood.

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Background: Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is an increasingly acceptable therapeutic option for peanut-allergic (PA) children, despite significant side effects. Major peanut allergenic proteins are heat-resistant and are not rendered hypoallergenic after baking or cooking. Lyophilized peanut protein-MH (LPP-MH) is a novel composition from developing peanuts, enabling cooking-induced reduction in allergenicity.

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Background: Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) is an immune-mediated skin disease that may require prolonged treatments. Currently, there are no recommendations for treatment discontinuation once CSU symptoms are controlled, particularly among patients primarily diagnosed with severe CSU.

Objective: In this real-life study we aimed to describe our experience of omalizumab (Oma) treatment withdrawal in CSU and define biomarkers related to these outcomes.

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Introduction: Over 95% of healthy subjects develop anti-COVID IgG antibodies after receiving two doses of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine. In comparison, 20%-30% of SLE patients do not seroconvert following 1-2 doses of COVID vaccines, potentially due to immunosuppression. The aim of this study was to assess immunogenicity and safety of BNT vaccine in SLE patients treated with Belimumab and especially the yield of a booster third dose in this population.

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Background: Sesame allergy (SA) is a common cause of life-threatening, persistent food allergy, not only in the Middle East and Asia, but increasingly worldwide. Commercially available tests such as extracts for skin testing or specific IgE for sesame or its components in serum, have very limited predictive values. Therefore the diagnosis is dependent on the performance of oral food challenges (OFC), frequently avoided in children, due to time and resource constraints, as well as the risk of anaphylaxis.

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Background: Allergic reactions to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have raised concerns, particularly as repeated doses are required. Skin tests with the vaccines excipient were found to be of low value, whereas the utility of skin tests with the whole vaccine is yet to be determined.

Objective: To evaluate a panel of skin tests and the outcomes of subsequent doses of immunization among subjects who suffered an immediate allergic reaction to the BioNTech (BNT162b2) COVID-19 vaccine.

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Background: Between 25% and 30% of children with peanut allergy (PA) have a relatively high-threshold peanut allergy (HTPA), with a single maximal tolerated dose (SMTD) higher than 100 mg of peanut protein (PP). However, this threshold may decrease with time, age, exercise, illness, sleep deprivation, and other covariates.

Objective: To explore the feasibility of a simplified oral immunotherapy (OIT) protocol in a group of children with HTPA.

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Background: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an acquired hypercoagulable condition associated with antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) presence. Data on re-thrombosis following APS-diagnosis are limited.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of new thrombotic events among primary APS (pAPS) patients followed for up to 15 years in three medical centers in Israel.

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Importance: Allergic reactions among some individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) COVID-19 vaccine discourage patients with allergic conditions from receiving this vaccine and physicians from recommending the vaccine.

Objective: To describe the assessment and immunization of highly allergic individuals with the BNT162b2 vaccine.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In a prospective cohort study from December 27, 2020, to February 22, 2021, 8102 patients with allergies who applied to the COVID 19 vaccine referral center at the Sheba Medical Center underwent risk assessment using an algorithm that included a detailed questionnaire.

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Objective: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most common interleukin 1 (IL-1)-driven monogenic autoinflammatory disease. Yet published data also suggest that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) may have a role in the pathogenesis of FMF and may serve as a target for treatment. In the present study we evaluate this hypothesis.

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Background: Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) is a relatively common immune mediated disease that can be effectively treated nowadays. Nevertheless, for some patients remission cannot be achieved following current treatment recommendations, defined as resistant CSU (r-CSU). Treating r-CSU is challenging, and, currently, there are no recommended interventions.

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Innate immunity is one of two immune defence system arms. It is present at birth and does not require 'learning' through exposure to foreign organisms. It activates various mechanisms collectively to eliminate pathogens and hold an infection until the adaptive response are mounted.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to analyze how different levels of light intensity affect pupil light reflexes triggered by rod and cone cells, focusing on small color stimuli in central and peripheral visual field areas.
  • - Healthy subjects were tested with blue and red light stimuli at varying intensities, measuring pupil contraction and response characteristics under both mesopic and blue light conditions.
  • - Results showed that red light elicited a lower percentage of pupil contraction compared to blue light, and the findings highlight the potential for using this method to assess photoreceptor health clinically.
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Familial Mediterranean fever is a hereditary disease, characterized by recurrent episodes of inflammation. Colchicine, the mainstay of therapy, is administered continuously to all diagnosed FMF patients. Drug-drug interaction between colchicine and clarithromycin, resulting in colchicine intoxication, has been noted, mainly in association with gout and pneumonia.

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