TY - JOUR T1 - Subpopulations of BAL-cells can predict prognosis in sarcoidosis JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J DO - 10.1183/13993003.01450-2019 SP - 1901450 AU - Pernilla Darlington AU - Susanna Kullberg AU - Anders Eklund AU - Johan Grunewald Y1 - 2019/01/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2019/08/14/13993003.01450-2019.abstract N2 - 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 TCR 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]. Further, an expansion defined as >10.5% CD4+ Vα2.3+ BALF T-cells is commonly seen in patients with Löfgreńs syndrome (LS) [3], which is characterised by an acute onset with bilateral ankle arthritis and/or erythema nodosum, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy and in some cases with parenchymal infiltrates and usually fever [4].FootnotesThis manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.Conflict of interest: Dr. Darlington has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Kullberg has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Eklund has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Grunewald has nothing to disclose. ER -