Immunopathology of sarcoidosis

The immunopathology of sarcoidosis remains elusive despite years of research into this multiorgan disease.However, recent studies have provided new insights into the genetics and immune components involved in the clinical manifestation of the disease. Granulomatous inflammation is due to the host immune response to a persistent poorly degradable unknown antigen.Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is the major disease driver in many patients. The immune mechanisms that cause this disease start with the antigenic stimulus, followed by T-cell, macrophage and dendritic cell activation via a classic MHC II-mediated pathway. In addition, the profile of immune mediators reported in sarcoidosis indicates that the inflammasome pathway plays a critical role in disease pathogenesis. Increased understanding of the signal transductions pathways involved in the induction of inflammatory processes in sarcoidosis could give rise to new therapeutic approaches in future.