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[Opportunistic infections and sarcoidosis]
1Service de Pneumologie-Centre des Maladies Orphelines Pulmonaires, Hôpital Louis Pradel, Lyon, France.
Revue Des Maladies Respiratoires
|March 16, 2005
Summary
Opportunistic infections are rare in sarcoidosis patients, but can occur with corticosteroid use and low CD4+ T-cell counts. Sarcoidosis itself is not a significant risk factor, except for cryptococcosis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Sarcoidosis patients typically have a low risk of opportunistic infections despite immune suppression.
- This study investigates the occurrence of opportunistic infections in sarcoidosis.
Observation:
- Five cases of opportunistic infections (aspergillosis, MAC pneumonia, Pneumocystis pneumonia, cryptococcal meningitis) in sarcoidosis patients are presented.
- A literature review identified 65 additional cases of opportunistic infections in sarcoidosis patients.
- Common factors included corticosteroid use (36/65 cases) and CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia (5/11 cases).
Findings:
- Opportunistic infections are rare but documented in sarcoidosis.
- Corticosteroid therapy and CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia are significant risk factors.
- Cryptococcosis is the most frequently reported opportunistic infection in this context.
Implications:
- Clinicians should be vigilant for opportunistic infections in sarcoidosis patients, particularly those on corticosteroids or with low CD4+ counts.
- Sarcoidosis alone is not a major risk factor for most opportunistic infections.
- Further research may clarify the specific role of sarcoidosis in cryptococcosis susceptibility.