title: [Chronic stimulation of the immune system in sarcoidosis and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance].
abstract: Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease which predominantly involves the lungs. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) characterized by clonal proliferation of plasma cells, can develop into multiple myeloma at a later stage. Although the cause of sarcoidosis remains unknown, the most likely etiology relates to chronic stimulation of the immune system that may result in polyclonal B cell proliferation. In some patients this polyclonal proliferation may develop into a monoclonal B-cell proliferation and induce the appearance of monoclonal gammopathy. In this article, a possible linkage between sarcoidosis and MGUS is raised, based on the case study of a 67-year-old woman and a review of the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine 'B' and Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center.
authors.forename: Tomer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agmon-Levin
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000276:immunology*; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000276:immunology*