Immunology of sarcoidosis

The cardinal immunologic changes in sarcoidosis consist of depression of delayed-type hypersensitivity, hyperreactive circulating antibody responses and the Kveim-Siltzbach skin test phenomenon. Depression of delayed-type hypersensitivity is demonstrated by skin tests using tuberculin, mumps, pertussis, trichophytin, oidiomycin, dinitrochlorobenzene and Californian keyhole limpet hemocyanin. The cultured lymphocytes from patients with depression of delayed-type hypersensitivity react poorly to phytohemagglutinin, and there is a close correlation between anergy of lymphocytes in culture and by cutaneous anergy. In vivo cutaneous anergy mirrors in vitro cellular hyporeactivity. Other technics used to expose immunologic defects in peripheral lymphocytes of patients with sarcoidosis include tests of T and B cell function, rosetie formation and migration inhibition. Whereas there is cutaneous anergy and impaired cellular immunity in patients with sarcoidosis, the reverse holds for circulating factors. There are increased circulating immunoglobulin levels, increased circulating antibody levels to Epstein-Barr, herpes simplex, rubella, measles and parainfluenza viruses, increase antibody response to mismatched blood and occasional false-positive Wassermann reactions, but there is no increase in circulating autoan tibodies. There is no evidence that patients with sarcoidosis belong predominantly to any particular histocompatibility locus. Worldwide figures for the Kveim-Siltzbach skin test are presented. They provide evidence of its specificity in various international series. The causes of nonspecific reactions are discussed.