Magdalena Kegel,  —

Measuring the levels of the blood marker soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in patients with suspected sarcoidosis offers more sensitive diagnostic guidance than other commonly used markers, and allows physicians to identify patients with multiple organ involvement, according to a recent study. The marker also was seen to correspond to disease…

While the protein osteopontin is elevated in the blood of people with sarcoidosis, the increased levels are not determined by known genetic factors, according to a recent study. Nevertheless, several DNA variants in the osteopontin gene were linked to specific disease characteristics, such as lung tissue involvement, fever, or significant weight…

Patients with sarcoidosis have more than twice the risk of bone fractures compared to healthy people, a finding most likely linked to the inflammatory nature of the disease. While glucocorticoids — the main treatment option for sarcoidosis — are known to cause osteoporosis, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,…

Understanding which molecules, genes and proteins are active or inactive in sarcoidosis patients may help explain differences in the disease’s severity from patient to patient, a study reported. The variations in these actions and inactions — which scientists call molecular differences — may also explain which organs sarcoidosis will impact.

A screening of bacterial species found in the lymph nodes of people with sarcoidosis confirms that bacteria, known to cause acne, likely are involved in the development of the condition. Researchers reported that the bacterium, known as Propionibacterium acnes, was found in patients with sarcoidosis, but not in those with…

Researchers examining an infant born with a rare mutation that causes early-onset sarcoidosis demonstrated that a skin rash and persistent fever are typical disease features that could help in making an early diagnosis of the condition. Based on an analyses of the infant’s immune responses, the team also suggested that…

Researchers have discovered that the chronic activation of a molecule that acts as a metabolic sensor in mice may be the driving force behind sarcoidosis development. Since there are approved drugs that act on the molecule, it will be possible to quickly determine whether the treatment also works in humans.

Researchers have developed a way of discriminating between patients who have sarcoidosis complicated by pulmonary hypertension (PH) and those without blood-pressure issues. The approach may improve the diagnosis of those who have sarcoidosis with PH. Their research, “Expression profiling elucidates a molecular gene signature for pulmonary hypertension…

A very unusual case in which a woman simultaneously developed pulmonary sarcoidosis and the rare skin disease pemphigus herpetiformis could provide some insight on what causes sarcoidosis, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic. The study, “Concomitant pemphigus herpetiformis and sarcoidosis,” was published in the journal JAAD…

Abnormal thymus growth may cause sarcoidosis in certain patients, a case report recently demonstrated. As immune T-cells mature in this lymph organ, researchers suggest that an enlarged thymus may signal the presence of autoimmune processes in some cases. The study, “Recovery of pulmonary and skin lesions of…