INTERNAL MEDICINE Publication Record Akel, M., I. S. Salti, and S. Azar. 1999. Successful treatment
of parathyroid cyst using ethanol sclerotherapy American Journal of
Medical Sciences 317 (1):50–52. Al-Khalil, T., F. H. Mourad, K. Barada, and S. Uthman. 1999.
Massive hemorrhagic ascites secondary to endometriosis. Journal of
Clinical Gastroenterology 29 (4):344–345. Al-Khalil, T., F. H. Mourad, and S. Uthman. 2000. Sigmoid lipoma mimicking carcinoma: Case report with review on diagnosis and treatment. Gastrointest Endoscopy 51 (4 Pt 1):495–496. Araj, G. F., and S. S. Kanj. 2000. Current status and changing
trends of antimicrobial resistance in Lebanon. Lebanese Medical Journal
48 (4):221–226. Araj, G. S., H. A. Bey, L. Y. Itani, and S. S. Kanj. 1999.
Drug resistant S. pneumonia in Lebanon: Implications for presumptive therapy.
International Journal of Ant-microbial Agents 12 (4):349–354. Azar, S. T., I. S. Salti, M. Zantout, and S. Major. 2000.
Alterations in plasma transforming factor β in normoalbuminuric type1and type 2 diabetic patients.
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 85 (12):4680–4682. Badr, K. F. 1999. Arachidonic acid in cellular activation.
(Editorial to interleukin-1 stimulates Jun N- terminal/stress-activated
protein kinase by an arachidonate-dependent mechanism in mesangial cells.) Kidney
International. Baz, P., S. T. Azar, R. Medleg Bijjani, G. Halabi, and I. S.
Salti. 1999. Role of early fundoscopy for the diagnosis of Wolfram syndrome
in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care 22 (8):1376–1378. Bearcroft, C. P., P. Dimizio, F. H. Mourad, E. A. Andre, and
M. J. G. Farthing. 1999. Cisplatin impairs fluid and electrolyte absorption
in rat small intestine: A role for 5-hydroxytryptamine. Gut 44
(2):174–179. El-Ali, H., and G. El-Hajj Fuleihan. 2000. Nutritional
osteomalacia: Substantial clinical improvement and gain in bone density
post-therapy. Journal of Clinical Densitometry 3 (1):97–101. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G. 1999. Osteoporosis: An overview of
practice guidelines or BMD measurements and osteoporosis treatment
strategies. Lebanese Medical Journal 47 (4):222–228. ———. 2000. Hormone replacement therapy. New England Journal
of Medicine. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., E. M. Brown*, and H .I. Heath*. 2001. The familial benign hypocalciuric hypercalcemic syndromes. Principles of Bone Biology. San Diego, California: Academic Press. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., A. Haden *, A. Stoll*, S. McCormick*, and J. Scott* 2000. Effects of
age and gender on PTH dynamics. Clinical Endocrinology. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., S. T. Haden*, A. L. Stoll*, S.
McCormick*, and J. Scott*. 1999. The effect of lithium on calcium-induced
changes in adrenocorticotrophin levels. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
and Metabolism 85 (4):1492–1497. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., and H. I. Heath. 2000. Familial benign hypocalciuric hypercalcemia. The Parathyroids: Basic and Clinical Concepts. San Diego, California: Academic Press. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., M. Nabulsi, M. Shoucair, M. Salamoun, C.
Hajj-Shahine, and A. Kizirian.
2001. Hypovitaminosis D in healthy school children. Pediatrics 107
(4):E53. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., L. Porter*, P. Conlin*, J. Scott*, and
E. M. Brown*. 1999. Calcium modulation of the renin aldosterone axis.
Journal of Endocrinol Investigation. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., P. Ravn*, S. R. Weiss*, J. A.
Rodriguez-Portales*, M. R. McClung*, and R. D. Wasnich*. 2000. Alendronate in
early postmenopausal women: Effects on bone mass during long term treatment
and after withdrawal. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Guasch, A., C. F. Zayas, and K. F. Badr. 1999. MK-591 restores
glomerular size-selectivity and reduces proteinuria in human
glomerulonephritis. Kidney International. Haddad, M. C., S. H. Huwaijah, F. H. Mourad, A. Sharara, and A. O. Al-Kutoubi. 2000. Adjuvant therapy for the treatment of complications following surgery for hepatic echinococcal cysts. Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology 23 (5):406–409. Hajj-Ali, R., I. Uthman, I. Salti, G. Zaatari, M. Haddad, and
F. Nasr. 1999. Wagner's granulomatosis and diabetes mellitus. British
Journal Rheumatology 38 (7):684–685. Hajj-Ali, R., I. Uthman, I. Salti, G. Zaatari, M. Haddad, and
F. W. Nasr. 1999. Wegener's granulomatosus and diabetes insipidus.
Rheumatology 38 (7):684–685. Hamzeh, F., S. S. Kanj, and M. Uwaydah. 2000. Febrile
neutropenia in cancer patients in a tertiary care medical center in Lebanon:
Microbial spectrum and outcome. Lebanese Medical Journal 48
(3):136–142. Hunt, C. M., and A. I. Sharara. 1999. Liver disease in
pregnancy. American Family Physician 59 (4):829–836. Kanj, S. S. 2000. Antibiotic prophylaxis. Lebanese Medical Journal 48 (4):241–247. Kanj, S. S., N. Adel, and G. F. Araj. 2001. The continued prevalence of gram negative infections in febrile neutropenic patients in Lebanon. British Medical Journal. Kanj, S. S., S. S. Amr, and G. D. Roberts. 2001. Ramichloridium mackenziei brain abscess: Report of two cases and review of the literature. Medical mycology 39 (1):97–102. Kanj, S. S., and G. F. Araj. 1999. The impact of new
technology on infectious diseases. Lebanese Medical Journal 47
(5):276–280. Kanj, S. S., G. F. Araj, A. Taher, and B. Reller. 2001.
Campylobacter fetus pericarditis in a patient with beta-thalasemia. Case
report and review of the literature. Clinical Microbiology and Infection. Kanj, S. S., M. Chedid, and G. F. Araj. 2001. Susceptibility
of bacterial isolates to cefepime in comparison to other broad spectrum
antimicrobial agents at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. Lebanese
Medical Journal. Kanj, S. S., and D. J. D. Sexton. 2001.Pseudomonas aeruginosa
skin, soft tissue and bone infections: Clinical manifestations, diagnosis and
treatment. UpToDate Series, Clinical Reference Library. Kanj, S. S., and D. J. D. Sexton. 2001.Pseudomonas bacteremia
and endocarditis: Clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment. UpToDate
Series, Clinical Reference Library. Kelavkar, U., and K. F. Badr. 1999. Effects of mutant p53
expression on human 15-lipoxygenase-promoter activity and murine
12/15-lipoxygenase gene expression: Evidence that 15-lipoxygenase may be a
mutator gene. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the
United States of America. Kelavkar, U., C. Cohen, T. Eling, and K. F. Badr. 2001.
15-lipoxygenase-1 overexpression in prostate adenocarcinoma. Advances in
Experimental Medicine and Biology. Kelavkar, U., C. Cohen, H. Kamitani, T. Eling, and K. F. Badr.
2000. Concordant induction of 15-lipoxygenase-1 and mutant p53 expression in
human prostate adenocarcinoma: Correlation with Gleason staging. Carcinogenesis. Kelavkar, U., S. Wang, and K. F. Badr. 2000. Kuautoantigen (DNA helicase) is required for interleukins-13/-4-induction of 15-lipoxygenase-1 gene expression in human epithelial cells. Genes and Immunity. ———. 2001. Divergence in intracellular signaling between
interleukins (IL)-13 and -4 in human cells localizes to monomeric/dimeric
expression of a transcription factor, the lupus autoantigen 70/80, induced by
both cytokines. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. ———. 2001. Ku 70/80 lupus autoantigen is the transcription
factor induced by interleukins (IL)-13 and -4 leading to induction of
15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LO-1) in human cells. Advances in Experimental
Medicine and Biology. Kelavkar, U., S. Wang, A. Montero, and K. F. Badr. 1999.
Identification and characterization of an enhancer sequence in the promoter
region of human 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO) gene. Advances in Experimental
Medicine and Biology. Khan, R. Z., and K. F. Badr. 1999. Endotoxin and renal
function: Perspectives to the understanding of septic acute renal failure and
toxic shock. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation. Khoury, M., K. Y. Kabalan, S. Sharafeddine, O. Safa, and R. Haddad. 2001. A software detector of the Wolf-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. Journal of Clinical Engineering. Montero, A., and K. F. Badr. 2000. 15 Lipoxygenase in
glomerular inflammation. Experimental Nephrology. Montero, A., K. A. Munger, R. R. Khan, J. M. Valdivielso, J.
D. Morrow, and K. F. Badr. 2000. F2-isoprostanes mediate high glucose-induced
TGF-beta synthesis and glomerular proteinuria in experimental type I
diabetes. Kidney International. Montero, A., G. M. Nassar, S. Uda, K. A. Munger, and K. F.
Badr. 2000. Reciprocal regulation of LTA4 hydrolase expression in human
monocytes. Interferon and interleukins 4 and 13: Potential relevance to
leukotriene regulation in glomerular disease. Experimental Nephrology. Montero, A., S. Uda, K. A. Munger, and K. F. Badr. 1999. LTA4
hydrolase expression during glomerular inflammation: Correlation of
immunohistochemical localization with cytokine regulation. Eicosanoids and
Other Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Inflammation, and Radiation Injury.
Honn, et al., Eds. New York: Plenum Publishers. Mooty, M., S. S. Kanj, G. F. Araj, and R. Khalifeh. 2001. A
previously healthy woman presenting with headache and diplopia. Clinical
Microbiology and Infection 7 (9):517–519. Mooty, M., S. S. Kanj, M. Y. Obeid, G. Y. Hassan, and G. F.
Araj. 2001. Trichosporon beigelii endocarditis. European Journal of
Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 20 (2):139–142. Mourad, F. H., H. Hannoush, M. Bahlawan, I. Uthman, and S. Uthman. 2001. Panniculitis and arthritis as the presenting manifestation of chronic pancreatitis. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology 32 (3):259–261. Mourad, F. H., M. Hussein, M. Bahlawan, M. Haddad, and A.
Tawil. 1999. Intestinal obstruction secondary to an appendiceal cystadenoma:
Case report and literature review. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. Mourad, F. H., M. Khalifeh, G. Khoury, and A. Al-Kutoubi.
2000. Common bile duct obstruction secondary to a balloon separated from a
fogarty vascular emolectomy catheter during laparoscopoic cholecystectomy. Surgical
Endoscopy 14 (5):500–501. Munger, K. A., A. Montero, M. Fukunaga, S. Uda, T. Yura, and
K. F. Badr. 1999. Transfection of rat kidney with human 15-lipoxygenase
suppresses inflammation and preserves function in experimental
glomerulonephritis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the
United States of America. Sawaya, R., F. H. Mourad, M. Mikati, S. Najjar, and H. Adams.
1999. Adrenoleukodystrophy associated with vitiligo and ulcerative colitis.
European Neurology 42 (3):169–172. Senécal, J. L., J. Rauch, T. Grodzicky, J. P. Raynauld, I.
Uthman, and A. Nava, et al. 1999. Autoantibodies to human nuclear lamin B1
are strongly associated with lupus anticoagulant antibodies in systemic lupus
erythematosus. Arthritis and Rheumatism. Seoud, M., A. Adra, A. Khalil, R. Skaff, I. Usta, and I.
Salti. 2000. Transient renal tubular acidosis in pregnancy. American
Journal of Perinatology 17 (5):249–252. Sharara, A. 1999.Diagnosis and management of chronic hepatitis
C infection. Lebanese Medical Journal 47 (6):339–342. ———. 2000.Lozenge-induced esophagitis. Gastrointestinal
Endoscopy 51 (5):622–623. Sharara, A. I., G. Abi Saad, M. Haddad, A. Mansour, and A.
Tawil. 2001. Acute schistosomal granulomatous cholecystitis. European
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Sharara, A. I., I. S. Dandan, and M. Khalifeh. 2001. Living-related donor transplantation other than kidney. Transplantation Proceedings. Sharara, A., M. Haddad, G. Al-Awar, and U. Musharrafieh. 2000.
Photo Quiz: A liver fluke. Clinical Infectious Diseases. Sharara, A., M. Khalifeh. 2000. Liver Transplantation: A view
from the Middle East. British Medical Journal (Middle East). Taher, A., Z. Ammash, B. Dabajah, A. Nasrallah, and F. H. Mourad. 2000. Ticlopidine-induced aplastic anemia and quick recovery with G-CSF. American Journal of Hematology 63 (2):90–93. Taher, A., F. M. Chamoun, K. S. Abi, M. Saad, A. I. Khoriaty,
and F. H. Mourad. 1999. Efficacy
and side effects of deferiprone in thalasemia patients not compliant with
desferrioxamine. Acta Haematologica 101 (4):173–177. Taher, A., A. Shamseddin, N. Saghir, M. Seoud, F. Mourad, and
B. Dabajah. 1999. Acquired protein C deficiency following
cisplatinum-navelbin administration for locally advanced breast cancer.
European Journal of Gynaecological Oncology 20 (4):323–324. Turvill, J. L., F. H. Mourad, and M. J. G. Farthing. 1999.
Proabsorptive and prosecretory role for nitric oxide in cholera toxin-induced
secretion. Gut 44 (1):33–39. ———. 1999. Role of nitric oxide in intestinal water and electrolyte transport. Gut 44 (2):143–147. Uthman, I., T. Arayssi, and A. F. Masri. 1999. Rheumatology
training at the American University of Beirut. Journal of Rheumatology. Uthman, I., A. Bizri, and A. Gharavi. 2000. Infections and antiphospholipid antibodies. Lebanese Medical Journal. Uthman, I., A. R. Bizri, R. Hajj-Ali, F. W. Nasr, and I.
Khalil. 1999. Takayasu's arteritis presenting as fever of unknown origin:
Report of 2 cases and review of the literature. Seminars in Arthritis and
Rheumatism 28 (4):280–285. Uthman, I., A. R. Bizri, N. Shabb, M. Khury, and M. Khalifeh.
1999. Peritoneal sarcoidosis: Case report and review of the literature.
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism 28 (5):351–354. Uthman, I., R. Hajj-Ali, T. Arayssi, A. F. Masri, and F. Nasr.
2001. The arthritis in familial Mediterranean fever. Rheumatology
International 20 (4):145–148. Uthman, I., A. Muffarij, W. Mudawar, F. Nasr, and A. F. Masri.
2001. Lupus nephritis in Lebanon. Lupus 10 (5):378–381. Uthman, I., F. Nasr, K. Kassak, and A. F. Masri. 1999.
Systemic lupus erythematosus in Lebanon. Lupus 8 (9):713–715. Uthman, I., Z. Tabbarah, and A. Gharavi. 1999. Hughes syndrome
associated with cytomegalovirus infection. Lupus 8 (9):775–777. Uthman, I., A. Taher, and I. Khalil. 2001. Hughes syndrome
associated with varicella infection. Rheumatology International 20
(4):167–168. Uthman, I. W., G. V. Moukarbel, S. M. Salman, Z. M. Salem, A. T. Taher, and I. M. Khalil. 2000. Autoerythrocyte sensitization (Gardner-Diamond) syndrome. European Journal of Haematology 65 (2):144–147. Whitehouse, J., S. Palmer, R. Drew, S. S. Kanj, and J.
Perfect. 2001. Safety and efficacy of aerosolized amphotericin B lipid
complex for the prophylaxis of fungal infections in lung and heart-lung
transplant patie. Transplantation 72 (3):545–548. Yura, T., M. Fukunaga, G. N. Nassar, R. Z. Khan, K. F. Badr, and A. Montero. 1999. Free radical generated F2 isoprostane stimulates cell proliferation and endothelin-1 expression on endothelial cells. Kidney International. Abstracts, Conferences, and Proceedings Arabi, A., and I. S. Salti. October 2000. Thyroid carcinoma in
thyroglossal cysts. Second Pan-Arab Congress of Endocrinology and Diabetes,
Amman, Jordan. Azar S., P. Zalloua,
Zantout, C. H. Shahine, and I. Salti. June 2001. Leptin levels in patients
with type 1 diabetes receiving intensive insulin therapy compared with that
of patients receiving conventional therapy. 83rd Annual Meeting of Endocrine
Society, Poster Abstract 1-301, Denver, Colorado, USA. Azar, S. T., and I. S. Salti. June 2000. Effect of post-prandial
hypertriglyceridemia induced by a standard balanced meal on HDL-cholesterol.
The Endocrine Society 82nd Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G. October 1999. Practice guidelines for
osteoporosis prevention-treatment strategies. Second AUB Medical Conference,
Amman, Jordan. ———. March 2001. Estrogen, estrogen receptors and selective
estrogen receptor modulators. Middle East Breast Cancer Forum, Dubai, UAE. ———. March 2001.
The role of bone markers in osteolytic bone disease and monitoring
response to therapy. Middle East Breast Cancer Forum, Dubai, UAE. ———. April 2001. Asymptomatic hyperparathyroidism: A
perspective for the 21st century. National Institutes of Health Workshop,
Bethesda, Maryland, USA. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., R. Baddoura, H. Awada, N. Salam, M.
Salamoun, and P. Rizk. October 2000. Bone mineral density and its predictors
in healthy young Lebanese subjects: A multi-center study. American Society for Bone and Mineral Research,
Toronto, Canada. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., M. Nabulsi, M. Shoucair, A. N. Rouhana,
and C. H. Shahine. October 2000.
Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in school children in Beirut.
First Pan-Arab Congress of Endocrinology and Metabolism Disease, Beirut,
Lebanon. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., M. Nabulsi, M. Shoucair, M. Salamoun,
and C. H. Shahine. October 2000. Hypovitaminosis D in healthy school
children. American Society for Bone
and Mineral Research, Toronto, Canada. Fadel, R., T. Mahfouz, G. Araj, anc S. S. Kanj. May 2001.
Urinary tract infection in hospitalized patients at the American University
of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC): Microbiology and susceptibility of isolates
among hospital- vs. community- acquired infections. XXXVI Middle East Medical
Assembly, Beirut, Lebanon. Kanafani, Z. A., T. Mahfouz, and S. S. Kanj. May 2001.
Echocardiography in infective endocarditis: Results from AUBMC tertiary care
center in Lebanon. XXXVI Middle East Medical Assembly, Beirut, Lebanon. Kanafani, Z., T. Mahfouz, and S. S. Kanj. June 2001. Infective
endocarditis at AUB-MC: A tertiary care center in Lebanon. VIth International
Symposium on Modern Concepts in Endocarditis and Endovascular Infections,
Barcelona, Sitges, Spain. Kanj, S. S., N. Adel, and G. F. Araj. May 2000. Clinical and
microbiology features of patients with febrile neutropenia at AUBMC. XXXV
Middle East Medical Assembly, Beirut, Lebanon. Kanj, S. S., M. Chedid, and G. F. Araj. May 2000.
Susceptibility of bacterial isolates to cefepime in comparison to other broad
spectrum anti-microbial agents in Lebanon. XXXVI Middle East Medical
Assembly, Beirut, Lebanon. Kanj, S., P. Ghaleb, and G. Araj. May 2001. Glycopeptide and
oxacillin activity against Staphylococcus aureus isolates at the American
University of Beirut Medical Center in Lebanon. 101 General Meeting of the
American Society for Microbiology, Orlando, Florida, USA. Salti, I. S. July 1999. Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.
Annual Meeting of the Syrian Endocrine Society, Latakia, Syria. ———. September 1999. Up-date on diabetic dyslipidemia. Annual
Meeting of the Syrian Diabetes Society, Hama, Syria. ———. October 1999. Male osteoporosis. Satellite Symposium,
First Pan Arab Congress on Endocrinology and Metabolism, Beirut, Lebanon. ———. November 1999. The answered and unanswered questions with
lipid lowering agents. Satellite Symposium at The First Regional Hypertension
Congress, Beirut, Lebanon. ———. February
2000. Hashimoto's disease—an often under-diagnosed disease. Seminar on
Thyroid Disorders, The Syrian Endocrine Society, Homs, Syria. ———. March 2000. Bringing science into clinical practice in
the treatment of atherosclerosis. Symposium held by the Jordanian Society of
Atherosclerosis and Lipidology, Amman, Jordan. ———. March 2000. Hashimoto's disease: An often underdiagnosed
disease. The Fifth International Congress of Internal Medicine and
Subspecialities, Amman, Jordan. ———. March 2000. New developments in the treatment of diabetes
mellitus. The Fifth International Congress of Internal Medicine and
Subspecialities, Amman, Jordan. ———. April 2000. Management of glucocorticoid induced
osteoprosis. The Third International Congress of the Egyptian Society of
Endocrinology and Obesity, Alexandria, Egypt. ———. May 2000. Androgen replacement therapy. Symposium on
Endocrinology and Diabetes, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ———. May 2000. Laboratory investigation of thyroid disorders.
Symposium on Endocrinology and Diabetes, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia. ———. May 2000. Optimal treatment of dyslipidemia in diabetic
subjects. MSD University Program on Cardiovascular Risk Factors, New
Challenges, New Opportunities, Beit- Miri, Lebanon. ———. May 2000. Order of priorities in prevention of CHD in
diabetic patients. MSD University Program Symposium on Cardiovascular Risk
Factors: New Challenges, New Opprtunities, Beit-Miri, Lebanon. ———. May 2000. Thyrotoxicosis. Symposium on Endocrinology and
Diabetes, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ———. July 2000. Update on the non-surgical management of hyperprolactinemia. Annual Meeting of the Lebanese Endocrine Society, Ehden, Lebanon. ———. October 2000. Combination therapy in diabetes. Satellite
symposium on the management of diabetes at the Second Pan Arab Congress on
Endocrinology and Diabetes, Amman, Jordan. ———. October 2000. Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. First
Pan Arab Osteoporosis Congress, Beirut, Lebanon ———. October 2000. Management of severe Graves'
ophthalmopathy. Second Pan-Arab Congress of Endocrinology and Diabetes,
Amman, Jordan. ———. November 2000. Diabetic dyslipidemia. Annual Meeting of
the Syrian Diabetes Society, Damascus, Syria. ———. March 2001. Combination therapy in diabetes mellitus.
Fifth Pan Arab Conference on Diabetes, Cairo, Egypt. ———. March 2001. Management of glucocorticoid osteoporosis.
Second Egyptian International Conference on Osteoporosis Prevention, Cairo,
Egypt. ———. May 2001. Managemnent of hyperlipidemia. 36th Middle East
Medical Assembly, Beirut, Lebanon. Salti, I. S., and A. Nasrallah. November 1999. The
implementation of guidelines in Lebanon, Is it cost-effective in primary
prevention? Satellite Symposium on Lipids and Atherosclerosis, The
International Atherosclerosis Society Course on Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis
and Diabetes, Beirut, Lebanon. Uthman, I. September 2000. Hughes syndrome associated with
typhoid fever. Xth Mediterranean Congress of Rheumatology, Rabat, Morocco. Uthman, I. September 2000. SLE nephritis in Lebanon. Xth
Mediterranean Congress of Rheumatology, Rabat, Morocco. Uthman, I., A. Mufarrij, W. Mudawar, F. Nasr, and A. F. Masri.
February 2001. The clinicopathological characteristics of lupus nephritis in
Lebanon. Annual Meeting of the Canadian Rheumatology Association, Mont
Tremblant, Canada. Uthman, I., Z. Tabbarah, and A. Gharavi. September 1999.
Hughes syndrome associated with cytomegalovirus infection. 4th Pan Arab
Rheumatology Congress, Amman, Jordan. Graduate Theses and Projects Abi-Rafeh, A. July 2000. Bone density and its determinants in
a Tertiary Referral Center. G. El-Hajj Fuleihan and P. Saxena. Chahine, C. June 2001. Ultra-short therapy of Helicobacter
pylori. O. Mokhachen, G. Maliha, N. Shihadeh, and A. I. Sharara. Jubran, N. July 2000. Calcium content of commonly used
supplements. G. El-Hajj Fuleihan and N. Saadeh. Kizirian, A. July 2000. Calcium and vitamin D intake in school children in Lebanon. G. El-Hajj Fuleihan and R. Tannous. Research Projects
A 48-year old lady presented with a history of premature
menopause, polyuria, polydipsia, fever, and diffuse bony tenderness.
Her evaluation revealed central diabetes insipidus, hypothalamic amenorrhea,
an elevated free calcium on multiple occasions with an elevated 1,25
dihydroxyvitamin D level, and osteoporosis by densitometry. Skeletal
series revealed multiple lytic lesions involving the long bones. The
diagnosis of Langerhans’ cell granulomatosis was made. She was treated with
hormone replacement therapy, radiotherapy and vinblastine with a dramatic
improvement in her pain and a near-normalization of her free calcium.
Whereas hypercalcemia has been described in several granulomatous disorders
and is secondary to unregulated extrarenal production of 1,25
dihydroxyvitamin D, it is however extremely rare in Langerhans' cell
granulomatosis. This is the first case report of Langerhans cell
granulomatosis with hypercalcemia and documented elevated 1,25
dihydroxyvitamin D level that responded to the treatment of her primary
disease. Al-Ali, H., A. Abou Yabis, E. Issa, Z. Salem, A. Tawil, and
G. El-Hajj Fuleihan. Limited efficacy of azithromycin-based ultra-short
therapy for Helicobacter pylori To appear in American
Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. Chahine, C., O. Moukhachen, M.
Chedid, G. F. Araj, and A. I. Sharara. Low peak bone mineral density in Lebanese subjects Osteoporosis is a major public health problem in Western
countries, projected to have a similar impact in the Middle East. It has been
suggested that peak bone mineral density (BMD) may be lower in this part of
the world compared to the Western world. We determined peak bone mass in a
randomly chosen sample of healthy Lebanese subjects, aged 25-35 years.
Peak BMD in Lebanese subjects was 0.2-1.1SD below that of peak BMD in US
subjects. Height, weight, and total body fat were the most significant
correlates of BMD/BMC accounting for 0.3-0.7 of the variance in bone mass
measurement. This is the first population-based study from the Middle East,
demonstrating that peak BMD is lower in Lebanese subjects compared to an
established American database, more so at cortical sites, and in male
subjects. This is expected to translate into an increased risk of
fractures in later life; however, its real impact on the epidemiology of
osteoporosis in Lebanon remains to be determined. Manuscript submitted.
El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., R. Baddoura*, H. Awada*, N. Salam*, M. Salamoun, and P.
Rizk*. Effect of topical steroids on bone metabolism Corticosteroids are widely used anti-inflammatory agents,
both systemically and topically. Systemic steroids are associated with a
variety of side-effects, including fractures that occur in up to 500f chronic
users. While it was originally thought that inhaled steroids are free from
any significant skeletal side-effects, recent data reveals that systemic
absorption does occur with ensuing bone loss. Topical use of steroids is
extremely common in dermatologic conditions, typically with 2-4 week courses,
that may however be repeated several times over the years. Very little
if anything is known about the impact of topical steroids on bone metabolism.
It would be expected, however, that repetitive use, over the span of many
years, would also negatively affect bone metabolism. This is of particular
relevance in view of the high prevalence of the disease in the
pediatric-adolescent age group, at a critical time for bone mass
accretion. The aim of this proposal is to test the hypothesis that
topical steroids negatively affect bone turnover and bone mineral
density. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., A. Kebbi, N. Rubeiz, S. Salman, C.
Zaynoun, and M. Matta. Education as a strategy to improve patient compliance
with raloxifene As life expectancy continues to increase, women will soon
be post-menopausal for one third of their lives. The human and economic costs
of this increased longevity in an estrogen-deficient state are substantial.
They include a projected increase in cardiovascular events, the leading
causes of death in post-menopausal women, and in osteoporotic fractures.
However, despite the many benefits of estrogens, less than one fifth of women
ever take them. This reluctance is based on the high incidence of side
effects, and to fears from cancer of the breast. Raloxifene (Evista) is
a selective estrogen receptor modulator that received FDA approval for
osteoporosis treatment. This agent reduces the risk of fractures by 50%, and
that of breast cancer by 70%. Due to its low side effect profile, compliance
is expected to be higher with raloxifene than with estrogen. However,
compliance with medication for chronic diseases is extremely low. In
this proposal, we will test the hypothesis that patient education will
improve compliance with raloxifene. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., A. Khalil, F.
Suidan, M. Seoud, and I. Usta. Effect of long-term anti-epileptic drug therapy on bone
metabolism in ambulatory patients: Response to vitamin D supplementation Osteomalacia, one of the causes of reduced bone density,
is a disorder of newly formed bone
matrix in adults. Early reports suggested that 20% to 650f epileptic
patients receiving anticonvulsants developed signs of rickets or
osteomalacia, especially when institutionalized. However, very few are the
studies investigating the magnitude of the problem in the outpatient
population. Furthermore, there are no therapeutic trials to investigate the
dose of vitamin D needed to correct the metabolic and bone density
abnormalities in the outpatient population at risk of developing
anti-epiletic drug-induced osteomalacia/osteoporosis. The objective of this
study is to determine the efficacy of low dose vs. high dose vitamin D
supplementation on bone density in ambulatory patients on chronic
anti-epileptic therapy. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., M. Mikati, B. Yamout, R.
Sawaya, and G. Farhat. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on musculo-skeletal
development in healthy adolescents Calcium and vitamin D nutrition are important for bone
density acquired during adolescence, and this is a major factor determining
eventual risk of osteoporotic fractures. Much work has focused on
calcium, but the role and potential benefits of vitamin D remain poorly
understood. We recently showed that it is wrong to assume that children in
sunny countries do not need vitamin D after age one (El-Hajj Fuleihan, PEDIATRICS
107: e53, April 2001). The aim of the research proposed here is to determine
the vitamin D requirement of healthy children in Lebanon, and to characterize
its effects on growth, skeletal development, muscle strength, and overall
health. This research will define the impact of Vitamin D
supplementation as a cost-effective health promotion strategy during the
important years of childhood and adolescence. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., M.
Naboulsi, M. Shoucair, M. Salamoun, and C. Hajj Shahine. Pamidronate in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced
bone loss in pre-menopausal women with breast cancer Breast cancer is the second deadliest cancer in women.
Over the last decade, breast cancer mortality has dropped by 20% in
pre-menopausal women due to screening and the use of adjuvant chemotherapy.
However, this improved mortality is not without cost. Indeed, one of the
complications of chemotherapy is premature menopause and accelerated bone
loss. Bisphosphonates are efficaceous antiresorptive agents in the prevention
of osteoporosis and have been shown for the oral compounds, clodronate and
residronate, to prevent chemotherapy induced bone loss. However, these agents
are not available in many parts of the world, and their intake may be limited
by the patients ' nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy. The primary
objective of this investigation is to study the efficacy of cyclical
pamidronate in reducing chemotherapy-induced bone loss in premenopausal women
with breast cancer. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., A. Shamseddine, and Z. Salem. A national random survey of bone mineral density
reporting in the US The rapidly evolving technology of bone mineral density
(BMD) testing has revolutionized the clinical care of osteoporosis; however,
at present there are no guidelines for BMD reporting. A survey was mailed to
a random sample of bone densitometry centers in the United States to evaluate
the practice of BMD reporting. Of the 1200 questionnaires mailed, 22.5% were
completed and returned. Spine and hip BMD were routinely measured at
710f the centers and were
expressed as T-scores by 900f centers. Fracture risk was reported by 700f the
centers, and only the minority (<15%) applied appropriate age and gender
restrictions. There were geographic and specialty variations in the practices
of bone density reporting. Despite the established value of clinical
densitometry in the care of patients at risk for osteoporosis, our survey
revealed that clinical information, including fracture risk, was missing from
many reports. A re-examination of the practice of clinical densitometry
reporting is warranted. El-Hajj Fuleihan, G., J. Stock, G. Saifi, M.
McClung. Urinary tract infections at AUBMC: Comparison of
community- versus hospital-acquired infections We are currently looking at the epidemiology of UTI in
community-acquired and hospital-acquired urinary tract infection at AUBMC,
with special emphasis on the susceptibility patterns of isolated organisms as
it relates to risk factors. Fadel, R. (PL), T. Mahfouz, T., S. S. Kanj (PL),
and G. F. Araj. Effect of antiepileptics on bone mineral density Long-term antiepileptic drugs cause multiple abnormalities
in calcium metabolism, such as reduced serum levels of biologically-active
metabolites of vitamin D and reduced bone mineral density, especially in
institutionalized patients. Their impact on ambulatory patients is less
clear. The primary objective of this study is to determine the effect of antiepileptic
drugs on bone density in ambulatory patients. The secondary objective is to
compare the effects of enzyme inducing and non-inducing anti-epileptics, and
of single versus multiple therapy bone metabolism. 74 patients on
anticonvulsant therapy for at least six months were studied. In adults,
duration of anti-epileptic drug use and multiple use of anti-epileptics were
inversely related to bone density. There was a trend for a lower bone mass in
patients on enzyme-inducers. Our findings call for a reconsideration of
calcium and vitamin D supplementation in patients on chronic anti-epileptic
therapy. Farhat, G., B. Yamout, M. Mikati, S. Dimerjian, R. Sawaya, and
G. El-Hajj Fuleihan. Human herpes virus-6 as a possible etiologic agent in
idiopathic Bell's palsy HHV-6 is a novel herpes virus incriminated in many
clinical entities. Recently, the virus has been thought to play a role in
multiple sclerosis, and possibly, in idiopathic Bell's palsy. The aim of the
study is to do PCR, using specific primers for HHV-6, on sera of patients who
present with Bell's palsy. Kanj, S. S. (PL), M. Abdallah, B. Yamout, G.
Matar, A. Hamdan, and U. Hadi. 1999 febrile neutropenic patients at AUBMC: Sites of
infections, isolated micro-organisms, antimicrobial susceptibility, cefepime
activity, regimens of antibiotics given, and response to treatment Kanj, S. S. (PL), N. Adel (PL), and G. F. Araj. 1999 Assessment of glycopeptide resistance among MRSA
isolates at AUBMC in the era of global emergence of glycopetide intermediate
S. aureus. The aim of this research proposal is to use an MIC method to screen the S. aureus isolates identified at the AUBMC for vancomycin and teicoplanin resistance in an attempt to detect GISA and assess their existence in our institution. This will help in designing an intervention infection control policy in case needed. Moreover, studying these isolates for VISA and GISA gives the opportunity to test (by disc diffusion) antimicrobial agents that are not routinely tested for in these isolates, such as fluoroquinolones and streptogamins, i.e., synercid, tetracycline, cefepime, and thrimetoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Kanj, S. S. (PL), G. F. Araj (PL), and P. A. Ghaleb. 1999 Susceptibility of bacterial isolates to the fourth
generation cephalosporins in comparison to other broad spectrum antimicrobial
agents in Lebanon Kanj, S. S., M. Chedid, and G. F. Araj.
International collaboration on endocarditis A multi-center, multinational study including 21 centers.
Kanj, S. S., Z. Kanafani, and T. Mahfouz. Ventilator-associated pneumonia at AUBMC Looking at the incidence, the microbiology, the
susceptibility patterns of isolated organisms and the risk factors for
ventilator-associated pneumoia at AUBMC. Kara, L. (PL), and S. S. Kanj (PL). Hyperuricemia in relation to cardiovascular risk factors
in Lebanon Analysis of data obtained from the study of cardiovascular
risk factors in Lebanese subjects, aged 30-65 years. The data will be
correlated to other risk factors, including lipid profile, diabetes, obesity,
hyper-tension, and hyper-insulinemia. Salti, I. S. (PL), and J. Eid-Fares. The changing clinical profile of Hashimoto's Disease Patients who were diagnosed between 1996-2001 to have
Hashimoto's disease of the thyroid are studied retrospectively in relation to
their clinical and laboratory abnormalities. Preliminary data suggest that
the disease is often asymptomatic and is not diagnosed early. Salti, I.
S., and A. Krikorian. Fasting serum insulin levels in relation to
cardiovascular risk factors in Lebanon Data obtained from the study of Lebanese subjects, aged
30-65 years, on fasting insulin levels will be analyzed in relation to
obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and lipid profile. Salti, I. S. (PL), and D.
Zayour. Efficacy of five- or seven-day gatifloxacin-based
therapy for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and
safety of a five- versus seven-day gatifloxacin-based therapy for the
eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. The proposed study
will test the hypothesis that H. pylori can be eradicated by at least 850
using a five-day or seven-day regimen, consisting of rabeprazole,
amoxicillin, and the new fluoroquinolone, gatifloxacin. Information gained
from this study can contribute to enhancing eradication rates of H. pylori
with diminished cost and improved compliance, and may offer an acceptable
alternative to patients with macrolide resistant H. pylori, which has been
reported to be present in 5-160f individuals. Sharara, A. (PL), and Barada,
K. A. Study of the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase
and nitric oxide in interferon and arsenic trioxide mediated apoptosis in
HTLV-1 transformed cells and HTLV-1 negative activated T-cells HTLV-1 associated adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is
a malignancy of mature T-cells with a poor prognosis. Previous work has shown
that interferon-(IFN) can, in a synergistic fashion
with other compounds, enhance clinical response in vivo (when added to AZT)
and induce cell cycle arrest and extensive apoptosis in vitro (when added to
arsenic trioxide) in HTLV-1 transformed T-cells. IFN are known to be potent
activators in vivo and in vitro of the expression of the inducible form of
nitric oxide synthase (NOS2 or iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) production. NO
shares with other toxic molecules, such as tumor necrosis factor-,
the unique ability to initiate and block apoptosis, depending on multiple
variables. Cytotoxicity as a result of massive NO formation is now
established to initiate apoptosis. Recent work has shown that iNOS is
constitutively expressed and detected by RT-PCR in ATL patients and in HTLV-I
infected cell lines and that NO may be involved in regulation of apoptosis
and the invasive character of ATL cells. This study looks at the role of NO
and iNOS in IFN and As-mediated apoptosis in HTLV-1 transformed cell lines,
on HTLV-1 negative activated T-cells, and on freshly isolated T-cells from a
patient with ATL. Sharara, A. (PL), and A. Bazarbachi. Supported by URB and Terry Fox Run Research Fund Ultra-short azithromycin-based three-day therapy for the
treatment of Helicobacter pylori This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an
ultra-short three-day regimen with triple agents for the eradication of
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. The proposed study will test the
hypothesis that H. pylori can be eradicated by at least 850 using a three-day
regimen consisting of lansoprazole, azithromycin, and amoxicillin. The
rationale behind such a combination is based on (1) the prolonged and high
tissue half-life of azithromycin, (2) the improved bio-availability of both
antibiotics after potent acid inhibition, and (3) the evidence of synergistic
in vitro effect of PPIs with azithromycin in the eradication of H.
pylori. Information gained from this study can contribute to enhancing
eradication rates of H. pylori with diminished cost and improved compliance.
Sharara, A. (PL), C. Chahine, O. Moukachen, M. Chedid, G. F. Araj. Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori resistance to
metronidazole, clarithromycin, amoxicillin, and tetracycline in Lebanon This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of
anti-microbial resistance amongst Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) isolates,
cultured from gastric biopsies taken during routine endoscopies at the
American University of Beirut Medical Center in Lebanon. Fifty-four
consecutively recovered H. pylori isolates were tested against metronidazole,
clarithromycin, tetracycline, and amoxicillin, using the epsilometer test.
Resistance to metronidazole was found in 29.50f isolates while resistance to
clarithromycin and tetracycline was low (4% and 2%, respectively). All
isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin. These findings are comparable to
those reported from Europe and the United States. The prevalence of
metronidazole resistance, in our study, was lower when compared to that
reported from other parts of the Middle East and the developing world. This
study stresses the importance of performing local susceptibility testing in
order to develop unified national treatment policies and monitor evolution of
resistance to anti-microbial agents. Sharara, A. (PL), M. Chedid, K. Barada,
F. Mourad, and G. Araj. Supported by AUB Medical Practice Plan Effect of short-term aggressive therapy on laryngeal
symptoms and voice characteristics in patients with gastroesophageal reflux To appear in Acta
Otolaryngologica. Sharara, A. I., A. L. Hamdal, A. Younes, and N.
Fuleihan. Update on the status of liver transplantation in
Lebanon To appear in Lebanese
Medical Journal. Sharara, A. I., M. Khalifeh, C. Yaghi, R. Noun, R.
Sayegh, and G. Khoury. Gastro-esophageal variceal hemorrhage To appear in New England Journal of Medicine. Sharara, A. I., and D. C. Rockey.
A randomized single-blind trial of whole versus
split-dose peg-electrolyte solution for colonoscopy preparation The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and
patient tolerability of a split-dose polyethylene glycol-electrolyte
solution for colonic preparation prior to colonoscopy. This new regimen will
be compared with the conventional regimen of whole-dose PEG-electrolyte
solution given as a whole on the evening prior to endoscopy following a
complete clear fluid diet for a day. If proven to be effective, this
preparation can result in improved patient acceptability and compliance, and
possibly reduced cost (unnecessary rescheduling or repeat procedure for
inadequate or incomplete preparation). Sharara, A. (PL), and A. Sayyed. Cyclical intravenous pamidronate in the prevention of
postmenopausal bone loss Oral bisphosphonates are an established mode of therapy
for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. However, many patients are
unable to take them, either due to poor tolerability, or to some established
contraindications. This retrospective study describes our clinical experience
with the efficacy and tolerability of cyclical intravenous pamidronate in
patients with bone loss at AUBMC. Twenty patients received intravenous
pamidronate, as a 30 mg infusion administered intravenously over the period
of 2 hours every 3 months. All patients were maintained on calcium and
vitamin D supplementation: 1000 mg of calcium and 400-800 IU of vitamin D,
respectively. Bone mineral density of the spine, and/or hip, was
measured at baseline and within an average of 14 months of study entry, while
on cyclical pamidronate. Two-thirds of the patients showed a significant
increase in bone mineral density, either at the lumbar spine or the hip. Five
patients (25%) developed the expected acute phase reaction symptoms. Pamidronate
constitutes an attractive alternative therapy in patients who cannot tolerate
oral bisphosphonates. Manuscript in press J Clinical Densitometry.
Younis, H., G. Farhat, and G. El-Hajj Fuleihan. |