Gene expression in BAL cells of patients with sarcoidosis

Background: Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disorder with a still unknown cause. The disease varies strongly between different patients. Underlying common molecular signatures are still to explore, especially to find patterns of prognostic relevance. Objectives: Our aim was to compare the gene expression profiles of BAL cells of sarcoid patients with expression profiles of healthy volunteers. Methods: 50 patients with sarcoidosis and 20 healthy volunteers underwent bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage. BAL cells were isolated using a standard protocol. Gene expression was quantified by using Human Ge…