The Use of Next-Generation Sequencing in the Identification of a Fastidious Pathogen: A Lesson From a Clinical Setup.

is the causal agent of bacillary hemoglobinuria in cattle, goat, sheep, and ruminants. In this study, we report the first recorded human-infecting strain collected from an 18-year-old woman diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. After failure of traditional techniques, only next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology in combination with bioinformatics, phylogenetic, and pathogenomics analyses revealed that our King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) bacterial isolate belongs to species.

Host response to Brucella infection: review and future perspective.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic and contagious infectious disease caused by infection with Brucella species. The infecting brucellae are capable of causing a devastating multi-organ disease in humans with serious health complications. The pathogenesis of Brucella infection is influenced largely by host factors, Brucella species/strain, and the ability of invading brucellae to survive and replicate within mononuclear phagocytic cells, preferentially macrophages (Mf).

HIV-Care Outcome in Saudi Arabia; a Longitudinal Cohort.

Background: Clinical characteristics of HIV-1 infection in people inhabiting Western, Sub-Saharan African, and South-East Asian countries are well recognized. However, very little information is available with regard to HIV-1 infection and treatment outcome in MENA countries including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

Methods: Clinical, demographic and epidemiologic characteristics of 602 HIV-1 infected patients followed in the adult Infectious Diseases Clinic of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a tertiary referral center were longitudinally collected from 1989 to 2010.

Transforming growth factor beta production correlates with depressed lymphocytes function in humans with chronic brucellosis.

In chronic brucellosis due to Brucella melitensis, cell-mediated responses were transiently depressed in comparison to antibody responses. To elucidate the mechanism of immunosuppression, we examined the role of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in cellular immune responses of 20 patients with chronic brucellosis. Circulating TGF-beta1 level was markedly elevated is sera of patients with confirmed brucellosis as compared with those from Brucella-negative healthy control subjects.

Usefulness of molecular techniques to identify ongoing tuberculosis transmission in Saudi Arabia.

This study represents the first time that molecular tracing techniques have been used to identify patterns of tuberculosis TB infection in Saudi Arabia. The 2 strains were isolated from a socio-economically advantage family who share a number of common facilities including a car and a driver. There are several factors that may play vital roles in on-going transmission of TB in Saudi Arabia including a high number of expatriates, the Hajj pilgrimage, and the social habits of Saudi citizens.