Publications by authors named "Ghadeer Alhamar"

Aims/hypothesis: Raised levels of circulating interleukin-8 (IL-8) were reported in adults and children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). In this study, we measured IL-8 and IL-8 receptor expression levels in the pancreas, and IL-8 and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the serum of recent-onset T1D versus controls.

Methods: Pancreatic samples from donors with T1D within 2 years of diagnosis and from non-diabetic controls were obtained from a diabetes biobank.

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Insulin-regulated glucose uptake is a central mechanism in maintaining systemic glucose homeostasis, primarily occurring in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. This process relies on the insulin-stimulated translocation of the glucose transporter, GLUT4, from specialized intracellular compartments, known as GLUT4 storage vesicles (GSVs), to the plasma membrane. Disruption of this pathway is a hallmark of insulin resistance and a key contributor to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.

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The pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) involves a complex interplay of genetic predisposition, immune processes, and environmental factors, leading to the selective destruction of pancreatic beta-cells by the immune system. Emerging evidence suggests that intrinsic beta-cell factors, including oxidative stress and post-translational modifications (PTM) of beta-cell antigens, may also contribute to their immunogenicity, shedding new light on the multifaceted pathogenesis of T1D. Over the past 30 years, neoepitopes generated by PTMs have been hypothesized to play a role in T1D pathogenesis, but their involvement has only been systematically investigated in recent years.

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Background: High-fat diets cause gut dysbiosis and promote triglyceride accumulation, obesity, gut permeability changes, inflammation, and insulin resistance. Both cocoa butter and fish oil are considered to be a part of healthy diets. However, their differential effects on gut microbiome perturbations in mice fed high concentrations of these fats, in the absence of sucrose, remains to be elucidated.

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Background: Visceral adiposity has been associated with an increased risk of critical illness in COVID-19 patients. However, if it also associates to a poor survival is still not well established. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between abdominal fat distribution and COVID-19 mortality.

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Context: Poor glucose control has been associated with increased mortality in COVID-19 patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Objective: This work aimed to assess the effect of prevaccination glucose control on antibody response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine BNT162b2 in T1D.

Methods: We studied 26 patients with T1D scheduled to receive 2 doses, 21 days apart, of BNT162b2, followed prospectively for 6 months with regular evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and glucose control.

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Aims/hypothesis: Antibodies specific to oxidative post-translational modifications (oxPTM) of insulin (oxPTM-INS) are present in most individuals with type 1 diabetes, even before the clinical onset. However, the antigenic determinants of such response are still unknown. In this study, we investigated the antibody response to oxPTM-INS neoepitope peptides (oxPTM-INSPs) and evaluated their ability to stimulate humoral and T cell responses in type 1 diabetes.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to create a clinical risk score to help predict the likelihood of death for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, using data from 417 patients in Kuwait.
  • Researchers identified key risk factors, such as glucose levels and comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension, and developed a scoring system that effectively predicted mortality with high sensitivity and specificity.
  • The risk score demonstrated good internal reliability and was validated with additional patient cohorts, highlighting its potential usefulness in clinical settings for risk stratification in COVID-19 management.
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Background: COVID-19 has a highly variable clinical presentation, ranging from asymptomatic to severe respiratory symptoms and death. Diabetes seems to be one of the main comorbidities contributing to a worse COVID-19 outcome.

Objective: In here we analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of diabetic COVID-19 patients Kuwait.

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