BAL fluid cells in newly diagnosed pulmonary sarcoidosis with different clinical activity

Abstract

However, previously treated symptomatic patients had lower lymphocytosis (3915% versus 4519%, P=0.058), and total BALF cell count (292166 106/mL versus 411322 106/mL, P0.05) compared with non-treated symptomatic patients. The same trend was noticed for CD4/CD8 ratio (8.34.8), although a statistically significant difference was not achieved. Conclusions. Independently of clinical symptoms at the time of diagnosis sarcoid patients have significantly different BAL fluid cell patterns compared to healthy persons. BAL fluid cell changes are more prominent in corticosteroid non-treated patients with clinically active sarcoidosis. Treatment with systemic corticosteroids may modify typical BALF cellular patterns of sarcoidosis.