[Levels of soluble CD4 and soluble CD8 in patients with sarcoidosis]

Levels of soluble CD4 (sCD4) and soluble CD8 (sCD8) in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined in 36 patients with sarcoidosis and 20 healthy controls by an ELISA method. In addition, the possible sources of sCD4 and sCD8 were examined in detail. The sCD4 levels in serum did not differ significantly between sarcoidosis patients and controls. The sCD8 levels in the sera of sarcoidosis patients with a high serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) level were significantly higher than those of patients with a normal serum ACE level (413 +/- 148 U/ml vs. 297 +/- 76 U/ml, p < 0.01). The high ACE group also had significantly increased serum sCD8 levels as compared to controls (323 +/- 111 U/ml, p < 0.05). In the sarcoidosis patients, the mean serum sCD8 level was 308 +/- 46 U/ml in stage 0, 339 +/- 107 U/ml in stage I, 557 +/- 141 U/ml in stage II, and 474 +/- 211 U/ml in stage III. The stage II group had a significantly higher sCD8 level than either the stage 0 or I groups (p < 0.05). In the sarcoidosis patients, the sCD8 level correlated significantly with the level of either ACE or soluble Interleukin-2 receptor in serum (p < 0.05). The sCD4 level in BALF was significantly higher in sarcoidosis patients than in controls (4.10 +/- 1.90 U/ml vs. 2.39 +/- 0.12 U/ml, p < 0.01), while the sCD8 level in BALF tended to be higher in sarcoidosis patients than in controls (4.31 +/- 4.39 U/ml vs. 2.02 +/- 1.52 U/ml).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)