José Lopes, PhD, managing science editor —

Using Jakafi (ruxolitinib) to treat a woman with polycythemia vera (PV; a blood cancer) led to complete resolution of her cutaneous sarcoidosis, and to mild reduction of her lung nodules, according to a case report. The findings suggest a new therapeutic strategy, especially for patients with cutaneous sarcoidosis,…

Treatment with Rituxan (rituximab) provided marked disease remission and was well-tolerated by three patients with refractory neurosarcoidosis, according to a new case report. The study, “Successful therapy with rituximab in three patients with probable neurosarcoidosis,” was published in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Neurological…

Measuring the serum levels of four specific biomarkers could help doctors detect cardiac sarcoidosis, identify patients with systemic lesions instead of heart symptoms only, and predict prognosis, a new study has concluded. The biomarkers are BNP, ACE, sIL-2R and cTnI. The study, “A Multiple Biomarker Approach in Patients…

Measuring the serum levels of the proteins ACE, YKL-40, CRP, and sIL-2R may enable clinicians to monitor disease activity in sarcoidosis patients, according to researchers from Turkey. Their study, “YKL-40, Soluble IL-2 Receptor, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme and C-Reactive Protein: Comparison of Markers of Sarcoidosis Activity,” was published in…

A new case report from India describes the occurrence of both sarcoidosis and tuberculosis (TB) in a patient with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and highlights the importance of early treatment in these rare cases. The study, “Coexistence of Sarcoidosis and Tuberculosis Presenting with Severe…

Exposure to chemical substances used in leather tanning may have been the cause of a rare case of subcutaneous (under-the-skin) sarcoidosis around a man’s left eye and mouth, a recent case report suggests. The report, “Occupational exposure as a presumable cause of subcutaneous sarcoidosis in a tannery…

A project studying the possible link between sarcoidosis and lung microbes received a four-year, $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research will be conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago and may help predict disease prognosis. Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disorder that…

Hospitalization due to sarcoidosis has increased in the U.S., but in-hospital mortality has declined, according to a study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The data also showed that more than 30 percent of the hospitalized sarcoidosis patients had one or more cardiovascular complications. The research, “…

A new case report describes a sarcoidosis patient with pancreatitis — inflammation of the pancreas — and hypercalcemia, or high calcium levels. The study, “Hypercalcemic pancreatitis a rare presentation of sarcoidosis: A case report,” was published in the journal Medicine. Sarcoidosis is a complex disease with…

Exposure to moderate to high levels of silica increases the risk of sarcoidosis and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a new study of Swedish iron foundry workers shows. The study titled, “Risk of sarcoidosis and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis from occupational silica exposure in Swedish iron foundries: a retrospective cohort study,”…