00387003

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The Immunoglobulin and Complement Levels in the Active Pulmonary Sarcoidosis

English (英語)

The Kobe journal of the medical sciences

49(5/6)

99-106

Kobe University School of Medicine

2003-12

2006-07-15

Background and aim: In sarcoidosis patients the circulating immune complex levelsare raised with the activation of the disease but their diagnostic role is not clear. Thesecirculating immune complexes contain complement and immunoglobulins (Ig).Complement and immunoglobulins are mostly accumulated in active sarcoid lesionsand in circulating immune complexes. Thus complement and Ig levels in circulationwill be reduced in active sarcoidosis patients due to their higher deposition in sarcoidlesions. We tried to make an estimation about the activity of the disease throughmeasuring the IgG, IgA, and IgM and complement (C3-C4) levels in the serum.Methods: Thirty-two (8 men) sarcoidosis patients (with their symptoms, chest x-raygraphies, bronchioalveolar lavage findings and the other related WASOG criteria)were divided into two groups as active and inactive cases. We measured with theimmunodiffusion method the immunoglobulin and complement parameters of thesetwo groups and compared them with each other.Results: Compared to the active group the IgG and IgA in serum were significantlyhigher in the inactive group (p<0.001, p=0.07 ). Although statistically not significant theIgM and C3, C4 levels were higher too in the inactive group.Conclusions: The IgG, IgA, IgM and the complement levels in serum are higher inthe inactive group. We think that these findings might be useful for the follow up of thedisorder's activity in sarcoidosis patients. In order to prove these finding studies withlarger volume are needed.

complement

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