Significant lymphopenia involving CD4, CD8, and CD19 positive cells was common in sarcoidosis patients and correlated with disease severity. Our findings suggest that lymphopenia relates more to disease pathology than medical treatment.
Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease characterized by noncaseating granulomas which consist of CD4+ T-cells and macrophages surrounded by CD8+ T-cells [1]. This inflammation can affect any number of organs, including the lung, liver, heart, skin, and nervous system. The etiology of sarcoidosis is unknown, but likely involves genetic factors, which interact with environmental exposures to result in disease susceptibility [2]....
Lymphopenia occurs in over 50% of sarcoidosis patients and is associated with chronic disease [4], [5], [6].