[CD8+T-cell lymphocytic alveolitis in sarcoidosis. 4 cases]

We report 4 cases of histologically proven sarcoidosis with lymphocytic alveolitis. The T CD4+/T CD8+ ratio was below 1 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Since there was no clinical and paraclinical evidence of extrinsic allergic alveolitis or HIV infection, and since 3 of the patients were nonsmokers and the 4th one smoked moderately, we considered that the T CD8+ lymphocytic alveolitis was related to the sarcoidosis. In 3 patients the presence of mediastinal adenopathy suggested that sarcoidosis was of recent onset. The fact that T CD4+/T CD8+ ratio was normal in blood indicated that T CD8+ lymphocytes were predominant only in the lung. Thus, the finding of T CD8+ lymphocytic alveolitis should not exclude a diagnosis of sarcoidosis.