Physical and chemical screening of honey samples available in the Saudi market: An important aspect in the authentication process and quality assessment.

Honey is becoming accepted as a reputable and effective therapeutic agent by practitioners of conventional medicine and by the general public. It has many biological activities and has been effectively used in the treatment of many diseases, e.g. gastrointestinal diseases, skin diseases, cancer, heart diseases, and neurological degeneration. Honey is an excellent source of energy containing mainly carbohydrates and water, as well as, small amounts of organic acids, vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, and enzymes. As a natural product with a relatively high price, honey has been for a long time a target for adulteration. The authenticity of honey is of great importance from commercial and health aspects. The study of the physical and chemical properties of honey has been increasingly applied as a certification process for the purpose of qualification of honey samples. The current work focusses on studying the authenticity of various types of honey sold in Riyadh market (24 samples). For this purpose, physical properties (pH, hydroxylmethylfurfural HMF, and pollen test) were measured. Besides, sugar composition was evaluated using Fehling test and an HPLC method. Elemental analysis was carried out using inductively coupled plasma (ICP). In addition, the presence of drug additives was assessed by means of GC-MS. The obtained results were compared with the Saudi Arabian standards, Codex Alimentarius Commission (2001), and harmonized methods of the international honey commission.

Risk Factors Associated with Methotrexate Intolerance in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.

BACKGROUND: Methotrexate (MTX) Intolerance Severity Score (MISS) has been previously validated in the Arabic language and has helped to detect high levels of intolerance in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The aim of the current study was to evaluate patient and disease characteristics associated with a high risk of MTX intolerance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional interview-based survey was conducted using adult RA patients as a study group, who were visiting a specialized rheumatology clinic at King Saud University Medical City. The Arabic MISS was used in this survey. Statistical analyses were performed to understand associations between MTX-intolerant and MTX-tolerant patients. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients were involved in this study. Of those, 101 (86.3%) were females with a mean (SD) disease duration of 6.6 (5.7) years. The median (interquartile range (IQR)) Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28) was 3.6 (3.6-4.1). MTX intolerance was observed in 55 (47%) patients. The most predominant component in patients with a positive test was the behavioral component. Intolerant patients had a higher median of pain (47.3 vs. 50.0; P = 0.010) and patient global assessment (50.0 vs. 60.0; P = 0.004) scales compared to those in tolerant patients. Additionally, MTX intolerance was associated with the female gender (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 6.724; 95% CI 1.420, 31.843, P = 0.016), marital status (AOR 2.549; 95% CI 1.037, 6.270, P = 0.042) and DAS28 (AOR 1.612; 95% CI 1.032, 2.517, P = 0.036). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the remaining disease activity parameters, background therapies, seropositivity, and smoking status (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Patient characteristics, rather than disease activity, significantly impact MTX intolerance. Behavioral component is the main driver of intolerance. Intolerant patients have higher patient-reported outcomes. Qualitative studies are needed to explore causes and potential solutions to MTX intolerance.

Prevalence of methotrexate intolerance among patients with rheumatoid arthritis using the Arabic version of the methotrexate intolerance severity score.

AIM: Methotrexate (MTX) is the anchor drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MTX is associated with adverse events that limit its use. The MTX intolerance severity score (MISS) was developed to identify symptoms related to MTX use in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and RA patients. The aim of this study is to translate and validate the MISS in the Arabic language. METHODS: Forward and backward translation of the MISS were performed by two fluent Arabic translators and reviewed by three rheumatologists. Consecutive patients with RA who used MTX for ≥3 months were recruited from two tertiary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A test was considered positive if the patient scored ≥6 points. The internal consistency and stability of the items were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and the test-retest method. RESULTS: A total of 185 patients were recruited. Of those patients, 158 (85.4%) were female. The mean (±SD) age and disease duration were 49.7 (±12.67) and 8.67 (±7.1) years, respectively. The mean Disease Activity Score of 28 joints was 3.2 (±1.3). Fifty-five (30%) patients were illiterate. Seventy-three (39.5%) patients had a positive MISS. Of those patients, 55 (75.3%) and 18 (24.7%) were using the oral and subcutaneous forms of MTX, respectively. The Arabic MISS had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.792) and a factorable study size for test-retest and factor analysis (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin = 0.745). CONCLUSION: The Arabic MISS showed validity and good reliability in detecting MTX intolerance in RA patients. MTX intolerance is prevalent among RA patients. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.