The immunology of sarcoidosis
Alicia K Gerke1, Gary Hunninghake
1Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. alicia-gerke@uiowa.edu
Abstract:
Sarcoidosis continues to be a disease of research interest because of its complicated immune mechanisms and elusive etiology. So far, it has been established that granulomatous inflammation in sarcoidosis is predominantly a T-helper 1 immune response mediated by a complex network of lymphocytes, macrophages, and cytokines. The cause of progression to a chronic and potentially fibrotic form is unclear but may involve loss of apoptotic mechanisms, loss of regulatory response, or a persistent antigen that cannot be cleared. Recent genomic and proteomic technology has emphasized the importance of host susceptibility and gene-environment interaction in the expression of the disease.
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