Establishment of an Associate Degree in Safety Technology.

Various types of hazards are present in all aspects of the economy. Training is an essential ingredient in the reduction and elimination of these hazards. The development of qualified safety professionals is necessary for solving the main problems facing and organizing a safe work environment.

Novel hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase gene mutations in Saudi Arabian hyperuricemia patients.

Over the past decade, a steady increase in the incidence of HPRT-related hyperuricemia (HRH) has been observed in Saudi Arabia. We examined all the nine exons of HPRT gene for mutations in ten biochemically confirmed hyperuricemia patients, including one female and three normal controls. In all, we identified 13 novel mutations in Saudi Arabian HPRT-related hyperuricemia patients manifesting different levels of uric acid.

Long-term safety and efficacy of infliximab therapy in refractory uveitis due to Behçet's disease.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of infliximab therapy for refractory uveitis associated with Behçet's disease (BD).

Methods: We prospectively enrolled six patients who failed to respond to conventional immunosuppressive treatment. Infliximab infusions (5 mg/kg) were administered at weeks 0, 2, 6, and then every 8 weeks.

Articular chondrocalcinosis in Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of articular chondrocalcinosis in subjects aged 50 years and above in a radiographic survey through 14 primary care clinics in North Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: Over a period of 7 months extending from September 1998 to March 1999, 153 patients attending 14 primary care clinics in North Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, were interviewed, examined and then requested to have radiographs of knees (anteroposterior and lateral), wrists and hands. The x-rays were read for the presence of chondrocalcinosis.