Characteristics of the study population
| Controls | Sarcoid patients | ||||
| Entire cohort | Löfgrens syndrome | Stable disease | Progressing disease | ||
| Subjects n | 48 | 74 | 10 | 51 | 13 |
| Age yrs | 42.3±1.9 | 40.4±1.5 | 33.1±2.8*,¶¶ | 38.7±1.6¶¶ | 52.7±4.2* |
| Smokers/nonsmokers | 9/39 | 15/59 | 2/8 | 13/38 | 0/13 |
| C‐reactive protein mg·dL−1 | 0.48±0.11 | 1.43±0.30* | 6.0±1.3#,¶¶ | 0.73±0.15 | 0.84±0.19 |
| Lung function | |||||
| VC % pred | 101.7±3.1 | 90.3±2.2* | 100.3±3.0¶¶ | 93.2±2.3*,¶¶ | 74.3±5.8*** |
| TLC % pred | 99.7±2.7 | 88.2±2.1* | 99.6±5.6¶ | 89.2±2.1* | 77.4±5.1*** |
| DL,CO % pred | 90.9±3.7 | 78.8±2.6* | 88.2±3.3¶¶ | 83.8±2.5¶¶ | 54.0±4.6# |
| FEV1/VC | 82.1±1.2 | 80.6±1.6 | 84.6±1.7 | 80.3±1.7 | 79.5±5.2 |
| Pa,O2 mmHg | 86.1±1.1 | 86.5±1.5 | 90.2±4.4¶ | 89.1±1.4¶¶ | 72.1±2.8# |
| BALF | |||||
| Total cell count 104 cells·mL−1 | 11.9±3.4 | 12.2±1.0* | 13.4±2.6*** | 11.2±1.1* | 13.1±2.2* |
| AM 104 cells·mL−1 | 11.4±3.3 | 9.5±0.8* | 9.8±2.0 | 9.3±1.0 | 10.2±1.9 |
| Lymph. 104 cells·mL−1 | 0.3±0.1 | 1.9±0.3# | 2.4±0.8# | 1.8±0.4# | 2.1±0.5# |
| Neut. 104 cells·mL−1 | 0.06±0.01 | 0.18±0.04 | 0.13±0.0¶ | 0.08±0.02¶¶ | 0.66±0.16# |
| Eosin. 104 cells·mL−1 | 0.04±0.02 | 0.05±0.02 | 0.01±0.01¶ | 0.03±0.01¶¶ | 0.18±0.07# |
Data are presented as mean±sem
VC: vital capacity
TLC: total lung capacity
DL,CO: diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide
FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second
Pa,O2: arterial oxygen tension
BALF: bronchoalveolar lavage fluid
AM: alveolar macrophages
Lymph.: lymphocytes
Neut.: neutrophils
Eosin.: eosinophils
% pred: percentage of the predicted value
*: p<0.05
***: p<0.001
#: p<0.0005 versus control
¶: p<0.05
¶¶: p<0.005 versus progressing disease. 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa