Syrian Refugees Seeking Hospital Care in Beirut: A Cross-Sectional Study of Reasons for Hospital Admissions.

Introduction: Lebanon has the highest Syrian refugee density worldwide. The influx of Syrian refugees has had various impacts on Lebanon, with one of the most significant effects observed in the already exhausted healthcare system. This study aimed to determine the reasons for hospitalization among registered Syrian refugees in Beirut who were admitted to Rafik Hariri University Hospital (RHUH) between December 2017 and June 2020.

Kynureninase Upregulation Is a Prominent Feature of NFR2-Activated Cancers and Is Associated with Tumor Immunosuppression and Poor Prognosis.

The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway is frequently activated in various cancer types. Aberrant activation of NRF2 in cancer is attributed to gain-of-function mutations in the NRF2-encoding gene or a loss of function of its suppressor, Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (). NRF2 activation exerts pro-tumoral effects in part by altering cancer cell metabolism.

c-MYC-Driven Polyamine Metabolism in Ovarian Cancer: From Pathogenesis to Early Detection and Therapy.

c-MYC and its paralogues MYCN and MYCL are among the most frequently amplified and/or overexpressed oncoproteins in ovarian cancer. c-MYC plays a key role in promoting ovarian cancer initiation and progression. The polyamine pathway is a bona fide target of c-MYC signaling, and polyamine metabolism is strongly intertwined with ovarian malignancy.

Utility of hematological and inflammatory biomarkers in predicting recovery in critical Covid-19 patients: Our experience in the largest Covid-19 treating center in Lebanon.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has led to a catastrophic shortage of ICU beds. This has resulted in the need to identify patients that can be discharged early before full clinical recovery. We designed this study to determine if in changes routine tests like CBCD and CRP can be a useful complement to clinical status when deciding to discharge patients from ICU.

From Tumor Cells to Endothelium and Gut Microbiome: A Complex Interaction Favoring the Metastasis Cascade.

Metastasis is a complicated process through which tumor cells disseminate to distant organs and adapt to novel tumor microenvironments. This multi-step cascade relies on the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations within the tumor cells as well as the surrounding non-tumor stromal cells. Endothelial cells constitute a major player in promoting metastasis formation either by inducing the growth of tumor cells or by directing them towards dissemination in the blood or lymph.

Variant analysis of the first Lebanese SARS-CoV-2 isolates.

Recently the first genome sequences for 11 SARS-CoV-2 isolates from Lebanon became available. Here, we report the detection of variants within the genome of these strains. Pairwise alignment analysis using blastx was performed between these sequences and the UniProtKB data for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus to identify amino acid variations.

A 12-Year Comparative Analysis of Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas in Lebanon: Trend Characteristics and 10-Year Projections.

Background  Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are two common malignancies worldwide and in Lebanon. Analysis of their trends plays a crucial role to better understand their origins and risk factors. This study will probe incidences of both types of lymphomas from 2005 to 2016, aiming to compare between the two malignancies according to age and sex and plot projections until 2026.

Specific PCR and real-time PCR assays for detection and quantitation of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium'.

Almond witches' broom (AlmWB) is a fast-spreading lethal disease of almond, peach and nectarine associated with 'Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium'. The development of PCR and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays for the sensitive and specific detection of the phytoplasma is of prime importance for early detection of 'Ca. P.