title: The infectivity of sarcoid clinical material and its bacterial content inoculated in CBA mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic disorder that is currently viewed as the consequence of chronic immunological response associating genetic susceptibility and specific environmental or transmissible agents. Relevant evidence, although conflicting, justifies a concern about the involvement of specific pathogens to disease causation. In this study we assessed the infectivity of sarcoid clinical material, and of the pathogens found in it, to normal CBA mice used as a model of an immuno-competent host.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eleven mice were inoculated into their footpads with fresh, filtered, and autoclaved, sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage homogenates, collected from patients with sarcoidosis, and with the mycobacterial and propionibacterial pathogens isolated from this material.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total number of positive reactors of the animals that received raw clinical material and the pathogens it contained was statistically significant compared to those of the control groups. However, the number of affected mice per group was in most cases less than 50% and inflammation was almost always mild and local.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the evidence provided by inoculation of normal CBA mice, some of the material under study, although of mild potency, can be infectious to an immuno-competent host.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Laboratory of Anatomy-Physiology of Farm Animals, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece. ikonomop@aua.gr
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ikonomopoulos
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gazouli
authors.forename: Ismini
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dontas
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sechi
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lukas
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balaskas
authors.forename: Vassilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gorgoulis
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kittas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005528:Foot / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011424:Propionibacterium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011425:Propionibacterium acnes / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial