Is sarcoidosis an autoimmune disease?: Report of four cases and review of the literature

Disturbed Homeostasis and Multiple Signaling Defects in the Peripheral Blood B-Cell Compartment of Patients with Severe Chronic Sarcoidosis

“…Patients with sarcoidosis exhibit clinical, serologic, and pathological features resembling systemic autoimmunity (67). However, because B cells and plasma cells are rarely found in sarcoid granulomas, it is generally assumed that B cells play no role in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis (28).…”

“…The clinical and pathological features of sarcoidosis (i.e., multisystemic involvement, arthritis, uveitis, myositis, conjunctivitis, neuritis, response to immunosuppressive therapy, and lymphocytic infiltration in affected tissues and organs) also mimic those of many systemic autoimmune diseases (50), and sarcoidosis has been reported to coexist with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (62). Thus, a relationship between sarcoidosis and systemic autoimmune diseases has been proposed, and it is postulated that sarcoidosis and connective tissue diseases may share common immunopathogenic mechanisms (67). Sarcoidosis, however, does not meet Witebsky's criteria for autoimmune diseases, and therefore, the inclusion of sarcoidosis in the group of autoimmune disorders has not been generally accepted (57).…”

Sarcoidosis Accompanied by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Autoimmune Hepatitis

“…Similarly, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder affecting multiple organs. Although sarcoidosis and SLE are both considered to result from abnormal regulation of the immune system, their coexistence in the same patient is quite rare (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17). (18,19).…”

Sarcoidosis Associated with Connective Tissue Diseases: Report of 3 Cases.

“…Abnormalimmunefunction, such as positive rheumatoid factor (RF) and antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and pulmonary involvement that mayprogress from alveolitis to pulmonary fibrosis are frequently observed in sarcoidosis, as well as in connective tissue diseases. Therefore, similar immunopathogenic mechanisms have been considered in both conditions, but there are relatively few reports of sarcoidosis patients associated with connective tissue diseases (1)(2)(3). Wedescribe three patients with sarcoidosis and coexistent connective tissue diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, and systemic sclerosis.…”