Introduction. ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae can cause severe infections, but they are also isolated from the stool of asymptomatic subjects. Faecal carriage of such organism is poorly understood. Methods. First phase of the study was cross-sectional with prevalence and epidemiology of ESBL faecal carriage in two nursing homes in Beirut: 57 residents in the first (NH1) and 151 residents in the second (NH2). In second phase, faecal swabs from cohort of NH1 residents were examined for carriage at six-week intervals over three-month period. Residents' charts were reviewed to assess carriage risk factors. Results. Over 3 consecutive samplings at NH1, 81% of residents were at least one-time carriers with 50% at the first round, 60.4% at the second, and 74.5% at the last one. At NH2, 68.2% of residents were carriers. Constipation (in NH1) and antibiotic intake (in NH2) were significantly associated with higher ESBL faecal carriage while the length of stay at the nursing home (in NH2) was associated with less carriage. Conclusion. Faecal carriage of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae is high among nursing home patients in Beirut. The rate of carriage changes rapidly and significantly over time either with multiple factors playing a possible role like outbreak spreading, antibiotic, and health care system exposure.

Our data show no significant difference in the frequency of CYP2C9 allelic variants when compared to the Caucasian population, whereas the allelic frequency of VKORC1-1639A was very high. Over 50% of the Lebanese population seem to be carrying more than two independent risk alleles, and is therefore potentially at high risk of over-anticoagulation.

Background Meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumors in adults. The relationship between meningiomas and exogenous sex hormones such as cyproterone acetate (CPA) is well documented, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Defining the histomolecular status of meningiomas developed on CPA would help us to better understand the oncogenesis of these tumors. Methods We identified 30 patients operated for a meningioma after long-term high-dose CPA therapy and with a history of CPA discontinuation before establishing the indication for surgical intervention. We used array-comparative genomic hybridization (to characterize copy number changes in those 30 meningiomas and subsequently performed next-generation sequencing with the National Institute of Cancer (INCa) solid tumor panel, which is a targeted panel of clinically actionable genes. We also examined grade, type, and clinical features. Results We identified AKT1 mutations or PIK3CA mutations in 33.3% of CPA meningiomas. AKT1 and PIK3CA mutations were mutually exclusive. Enrichment in oncogenic PIK3CA mutations in the CPA cohort was detected. CPA meningiomas showed chromosomal stability and were located mainly in the skull base. Ninety percent of CPA meningiomas were low-grade meningiomas and 63.4% were meningotheliomas. Half of our CPA cohort had microcystic components. Conclusion Our study shows that low-grade meningothelial meningiomas of the skull base are predominant in CPA meningiomas. We identified PIK3CA/AKT1 pathway as a hypothetical actor in onco-pharmacological interaction between meningiomas and CPA. This signaling pathway could be an interesting target for precision medicine trials in meningioma patients who have been subjected to CPA. Our results could invite the scientific community to review the current classification of meningiomas and to evolve toward more specific histomolecular classification.

Clopidogrel is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs, as its combination with low-dose aspirin is the recommended oral anti-platelet therapy, to prevent ischaemic events following coronary syndromes or stent placement. Numerous recent studies have shown that polymorphisms in the gene encoding the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) 2C19 enzyme (CYP2C19) contribute to variability in response to clopidogrel; patients with certain common genetic variants of CYP2C19 (2, 3) have a reduced metabolism of clopidogrel and have a higher rate of cardiovascular events or stent thrombosis compared to patients with the CYP2C19 (1) allele. CYP2C19 2 is most common in Caucasians, Africans and Asians while CYP2C19 3 has been found mostly in Asians. Since the prevalence of these variants in the Lebanese population has not yet been reported, our aim was to determine the genotypes of CYP2C19 in our population. CYP2C19 (1/2/3) variants were assessed by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assays in a representative sample of 161 unrelated healthy Lebanese volunteers. The allele frequencies of CYP2C19 2 and 3 were 0.13 and 0.03. Carriers of the CYP2C19 2 or 3 represented 24.2% of the subjects. Our data show no significant difference in the frequency of CYP2C19 allelic variants when compared to Caucasian populations and demonstrate that the application of the recent FDA recommendations would also be beneficial in Lebanon, allowing physicians to identify patients at high risk for atherothrombotic events, and eventually advising them to consider other antiplatelet medications or alternative dosing strategies in poor metabolizers.