Subpopulations of cells from bronchoalveolar lavage can predict prognosis in sarcoidosis

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is characterised by an accumulation of CD4+ T-cells in the lungs and an increased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) CD4/CD8 ratio (>3.5) [1]. In sarcoidosis, an expansion of BALF CD4+ T-cells expressing the T-cell receptor Vα2.3 has been associated with good prognosis and with specific HLA-alleles, i.e. HLA-DRB1*0301 and HLA-DRB3*0101 (which is often carried together with HLA-DRB1*13). HLA-DRB1*03 and HLA-DRB3*0101 molecules show similarities in the region important for antigen presentation and both may therefore be capable of presenting identical antigens to the lung T-cells [2]. The higher the proportion of a T-cell subset (CD4+Vα2.3+ T-cells) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of sarcoidosis patients, the better the prognosis and therefore it may be used as an additional prognostic tool http://bit.ly/2Mta0Cs