title: [Sarcoidosis--epidemiology and topics].
abstract: The incidence, clinical course, and clinical features of the disease sarcoidosis differ somewhat among populations and geographic regions. Pathogenically, sarcoidosis is characterized as antigen-driven macrophage-T cell activation leading to the formation of epithelioid cell granuloma. The etiological agents of sarcoidosis remain unknown. To clarify the etiological agents, as well as common disease features shared by all disease populations in all regions, numerous molecular studies have adopted strategies with T cell antigenic receptor, chemokine production, and ACE gene polymorphism. We expect trials of this type to produce fruitful results in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University.
authors.forename: Sonoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagai
mesh_terms: D018925:Chemokines; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D044469:Racial Groups; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D006680:HLA Antigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A