Association of the GRIK4 rs1954787 polymorphism with clinical response in antidepressant-treated depressed patients: results from a prospective cohort and meta-analysis.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Genetic factors influence the effect of its main treatment option, antidepressant drugs (ATD). The GRIK4 rs1954787(T>C) genetic polymorphism was associated with response following 1-3 months of ATD treatment in some studies, but not others.

Epidemiology of burns in a humanitarian setting: A national study among refugees in Lebanon.

Introduction: Burns represent one of the leading causes of morbidity worldwide and disproportionately impact women, children, and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals. Syrian refugees who fled conflict to land in overcrowded informal settlements across Lebanon are a particularly vulnerable population. This study aims to assess the etiology and risk factors for burns in this population.

Genetic literacy among primary care physicians in a resource-constrained setting.

Background: Genetic literacy among primary healthcare providers is crucial for appropriate patient care with the advances in genetic and genomic medicine. Studies from high-income countries highlight the lack of knowledge in genetics and the need to develop curricula for continuing professional development of non-geneticists. Scarce data is available from resource-constrained countries in Middle East and North Africa.

Validation of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy (LSRP) scale in the non-institutionalized Lebanese population.

Background: Psychopathy has been described as "the first personality disorder to be recognized in psychiatry". It has three core features: affective, interpersonal, and behavioral. The Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy (LSRP) scale is used to screen for and measure psychopathy.

The effect of polypharmacy on healthcare services utilization in older adults with comorbidities: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Older adults are more prone to increasing comorbidities and polypharmacy. Polypharmacy is associated with inappropriate prescribing and an increased risk of adverse effects. This study examined the effect of polypharmacy in older adults on healthcare services utilization (HSU).

Metabolomic profiles of 38 acylcarnitines in major depressive episodes before and after treatment.

Background: Major depression is associated with changes in plasma L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine. But its association with acylcarnitines remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess metabolomic profiles of 38 acylcarnitines in patients with major depression before and after treatment compared to healthy controls (HCs).

Well-being in chronic pediatric inflammatory rheumatic diseases: the experience of a French healthcare network.

Objective: Current management of patients with pediatric rheumatic diseases (PRD) should aim at achieving the best possible well-being. To identify sociodemographic/clinical characteristics, needed paramedical services and school accommodations associated with well-being in patients at inclusion in a French health network Réseau pour les Rhumatismes Inflammatoires Pédiatriques (RESRIP) that supports coordination of the patient's health pathway. To evaluate the evolution of well-being over time in this patients benefiting from such support.

The association of polymorphisms with response to antidepressant treatment in depressed patients.

β-arrestin 1, a protein encoded by involved in receptor signaling, is a potential biomarker for the response to antidepressant drug (ATD) treatment in depression. We examined genetic variants for their association with response following ATD treatment in METADAP, a cohort of 6-month ATD-treated depressed patients. Patients ( = 388) were assessed at baseline (M0) and after 1 (M1), 3 (M3), and 6 months (M6) of treatment for Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) changes, response, and remission.

Lebanese Hospital-Based Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry: Characteristics of Patients and Comparison with Other Populations.

Objectives: The aim of the Lebanese hospital-based Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) registry, initiated in 2011, is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of biologic agents among patients seeking care at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). We aimed to characterize the demographic and clinical profile of RA patients included in the Lebanese registry. We compared our results with those issued from Middle Eastern and non-Middle Eastern registries.

AhRR methylation contributes to disease progression in urothelial bladder cancer.

Background: Bladder Cancer (BCa) is the tenth most incident malignancy worldwide. BCa is mostly attributed to environmental exposure and lifestyle, particularly tobacco smoking. The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Repressor (AhRR) participates in the induction of many enzymes involved in metabolizing carcinogens, including tobacco smoke components.

The ERICH3 rs11580409 polymorphism is associated with 6-month antidepressant response in depressed patients.

Introduction: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the current leading cause of disability worldwide. The effect of its main treatment option, antidepressant drugs (AD), is influenced by genetic and metabolic factors. The ERICH3 rs11580409(A > C) genetic polymorphism was identified as a factor influencing serotonin (5HT) levels in a pharmacometabolomics-informed genome-wide association study.

Effect of BPA on CYP450s expression, and nicotine modulation, in fetal rat brain.

Human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) is mainly due to migration from plastic packaging into food and beverages. Studies reported BPA endocrine disruptions through interactions with different nuclear receptors, including the arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR). AhR mediates xenobiotic responses and regulates expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs), including many CYP450s.

Trends & predictors of non-AIDS comorbidities among people living with HIV and receiving antiretroviral therapy in Lebanon.

Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) increased the life expectancy of people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (PLHIV) and remarkably reduced the morbidity and mortality associated with HIV infection. Consequently, PLHIV are experiencing non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) associated comorbid conditions including diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of non-AIDS associated comorbid conditions among a cohort of PLHIV on cART in Lebanon.

Plasma acetyl-l-carnitine and l-carnitine in major depressive episodes: a case-control study before and after treatment.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the main cause of disability worldwide, its outcome is poor, and its underlying mechanisms deserve a better understanding. Recently, peripheral acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) has been shown to be lower in patients with major depressive episodes (MDEs) than in controls. l-Carnitine is involved in mitochondrial function and ALC is its short-chain acetyl-ester.

Expression of Killer Immunoglobulin Receptor Genes among HIV-Infected Individuals with Non-AIDS Comorbidities.

Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) increased the life expectancy of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and remarkably reduced the morbidity and mortality associated with HIV infection. However, non-AIDS associated comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are increasingly reported among PLHIV receiving cART. Killer cell immunoglobulin receptors (KIRs) expressed on the surface of natural killer (NK) cells have been previously implicated in controlling HIV disease progression.

The GG genotype of the serotonin 4 receptor genetic polymorphism, rs1345697, is associated with lower remission rates after antidepressant treatment: Findings from the METADAP cohort.

Background: Pharmacological studies have yielded valuable insights into the role of the serotonin 4 receptor (HTR4) in major depressive episodes (MDE) and response to antidepressant drugs (AD). A genetic association has been shown between HTR4 and susceptibility to mood disorders. Our study aims at assessing the association between the HTR4 genetic polymorphism, rs1345697, and improvement in depressive symptoms and remission after antidepressant treatment in MDE patients.

Work-related injuries among Syrian refugee child workers in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon: A gender-sensitive analysis.

Background: Syrian refugees in Lebanon have endured increasing hardships since the onset of the Syrian war in 2011, with many resorting to child labor. Working refugee children endure socioeconomic deprivation and harsh working conditions. This study explores the relationship between working conditions and the reporting of injuries among male and female Syrian refugee children in Lebanon and the related gender differences.

Child deprivation among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Palestinian refugees from Syria living in Lebanon: a cross-sectional analysis of co-occurrence of deprivation indicators.

Background: Palestinian refugees in Lebanon (PRL) and Palestinian refugees from Syria (PRS) living in Lebanon have high poverty rates. As the social, economic, and physical environment in which a child develops is a strong determinant of health and wellbeing, a comprehensive approach that recognises the influence of multidimensional deprivation on child wellbeing is needed. This study investigates overlaps (co-occurrences) in deprivation indicators experienced by Palestinian children compared to those experienced by other vulnerable children living alongside them in Lebanon; children who are Syrian refugees (SYR) and children who are Lebanese nationals (LBN).

Blood microbiota and metabolomic signature of major depression before and after antidepressant treatment: a prospective case-control study.

Background: The microbiota interacts with the brain through the gut-brain axis, and a distinct dysbiosis may lead to major depressive episodes. Bacteria can pass through the gut barrier and be found in the blood. Using a multiomic approach, we investigated whether a distinct blood microbiome and metabolome was associated with major depressive episodes, and how it was modulated by treatment.

Prenatal exposure to criteria air pollutants and associations with congenital anomalies: A Lebanese national study.

Maternal exposure to air pollution has been associated with a higher birth defect (BD) risk. Previous studies suffer from inaccurate exposure assessment methods, confounding individual-level variations, and classical analytical modelling. This study aimed to examine the association between maternal exposure to criteria air pollutants and BD risk.

Trends in Breast Cancer Staging at Diagnosis Associated with Screening Campaigns in Lebanon.

Mammography screening has been shown to improve early breast cancer (BC) detection, by shifting the disease at diagnosis to locally confined stages, offering lighter treatments and better prognoses. BC awareness campaigns calling for annual mammography screenings have been ongoing in Lebanon since 2002. Changes in BC staging at diagnosis as a consequence of documented improvements in mammography uptake remain to be described.

Child transport injuries and deaths in Lebanon: a multicentre retrospective study.

Introduction: Road traffic injury (RTI) constitutes the leading cause of deaths and disabilities for individuals aged 5-29 years globally. Lebanon suffers from a high toll of transport mortality and morbidity, though accurate and reliable RTI data are limited. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and the characteristics of child transport injuries and deaths in Lebanon and to determine their outcomes and associated risk factors.

The olfactory deficits of depressed patients are restored after remission with venlafaxine treatment.

Background: It is unclear whether olfactory deficits improve after remission in depressed patients. Therefore, we aimed to assess in drug-free patients the olfactory performance of patients with major depressive episodes (MDE) and its change after antidepressant treatment.

Methods: In the DEP-ARREST-CLIN study, 69 drug-free patients with a current MDE in the context of major depressive disorder (MDD) were assessed for their olfactory performances and depression severity, before and after 1 (M1) and 3 (M3) months of venlafaxine antidepressant treatment.

Social capital, social cohesion, and health of Syrian refugee working children living in informal tented settlements in Lebanon: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Since 2011, the protracted Syrian war has had tragic consequences on the lives of the Syrian people, threatening their stability, health, and well-being. The most vulnerable are children, who face interruption of schooling and child labor. This study explored the relationship between social capital and the physical health and emotional well-being of Syrian refugee working children in rural areas of Lebanon.