Overview of pathogenicity and virulence. Insights into the role of metals.

is a Gram-negative bacterium with exclusive molecular and biological features. It is a versatile pathogen acclaimed for its distinct urease production, swarming behavior, and rapid multicellular activity. Clinically, is a frequent pathogen of the human urinary system where it causes urinary tract infections (UTIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).

Prevalence of spp. in broilers in North Lebanon.

Background And Aim: Great attention has been given recently to the prevalence of different spp. in poultry since the latter are considered the major contributing reservoir of human campylobacteriosis. In Lebanon, the occurrence of campylobacteriosis in humans is high.

Prevalence, Laboratory Findings and Clinical Characteristics of Campylobacteriosis Agents among Hospitalized Children with Acute Gastroenteritis in Lebanon.

Purpose: species are currently the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis. In Lebanon, infection occurrence is underdiagnosed owing to the lack of specific culture and rapid test kits, particularly among children. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, laboratory findings, and clinical characteristics of infection in hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis in South Lebanon.

The Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Variant(s) and Its Impact on the Prevalence of COVID-19 Cases in the Nabatieh Region, Lebanon.

: An outbreak of an unknown respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, emerged in the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province, China, in December 2019 and was referred to as coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Soon after, it was declared as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. SARS-CoV-2 mainly infects the respiratory tract with different outcomes ranging from asymptomatic infection to severe critical illness leading to death.

Spectrum of Variants and Genotypes among Clinically Diagnosed FMF Patients from Southern Lebanon.

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive auto-inflammatory disease characterized by pathogenic variants in the gene, with allele frequencies greatly varying between countries, populations and ethnic groups. In order to analyze the spectrum of variants and genotypes among clinically diagnosed FMF patients from South Lebanon, data were collected from 332 participants and 23 variants were screened using a Real-Time PCR Kit. The mean age at symptom onset was 17.

Antimicrobial Susceptibilities and Laboratory Profiles of , , and Isolates as Agents of Urinary Tract Infection in Lebanon: Paving the Way for Better Diagnostics.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are major healthcare problems that are usually treated empirically. However, antimicrobial resistance has been increasing across many settings. This study aims to elucidate the antibiotic resistance profiles of three common uropathogens, (), (), and () and compare between extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and non-ESBL strains among Lebanese patients.

Prevalence, risk factors, and clinical characteristics of rotavirus and adenovirus among Lebanese hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis.

Background: Acute gastroenteritis is a very common infectious disease facing all age groups worldwide, especially the pediatric population. Viruses, bacteria, and parasites are all possible causes of infectious gastroenteritis; however, viruses have become more frequently identified with the advances in the ability to diagnose viral infections, particularly rotavirus and adenovirus. We aimed in our study to compare between the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical characteristics of rotavirus and adenovirus among children with viral gastroenteritis in Lebanon.

Prevalence, antimicrobial resistance and risk factors for campylobacteriosis in Lebanon.

Introduction: The rapid increase in Campylobacter strains resistant to antibiotics represents a major problem for public health. In Lebanon, campylobacteriosis is underdiagnosed since bacteria detection in stool samples is not performed routinely. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence, sources and routes of transmission, risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Campylobacter spp.

Emergence of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis among Lebanese Pregnant Women: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Species Distribution.

Objective: species colonize the vagina in at least 20% of women, with rates rising to 30% during pregnancy. This study aimed at determining the prevalence and risk factors of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) in pregnant women at 35-37 weeks of gestation. It also aims at finding possible correlations between VVC and vaginal colonization by other agents, such as Group B (GBS) and bacterial vaginosis.

Macrophage apolipoprotein E and proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells: role of LXR.

Background: Apolipoprotein E (APOE), a lipid transport protein that has a key role in the lipoprotein metabolism, is expressed by macrophages under the control of the transcription factor Liver X Receptor (LXR), an oxysterol-activated transcriptional factor involved in cholesterol metabolism. Recent work has shown that LXR agonists may inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation in vitro. We hypothesized that LXR-activated macrophages, and in particular secreted macrophagic APOE, may potentiate the effect of LXR agonists.

LXR agonists and ABCG1-dependent cholesterol efflux in MCF-7 breast cancer cells: relation to proliferation and apoptosis.

Background: Liver X receptor (LXR) plays a key role in reverse cholesterol transport by inducing the expression of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, implicated in cholesterol efflux. Recent data showed that LXR agonists inhibit the proliferation of multiple types of human cancer cells. However, whether these effects are related to cholesterol efflux has not yet been elucidated.