The expression of STAT-1 and phosphorylated STAT-1 in conjunctival granulomas.
OBJECTIVE
Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous inflammatory disease whose cause is unknown. Based on gene expression profiles of peripheral blood and on immunostaining of lymph nodes from sarcoidosis patients, the authors recently implicated the transcription factor STAT-1 in the pathogenesis. They explored the potential contribution of STAT-1 in an ocular manifestation of this disease.


METHODS
Conjunctival biopsies from 4 subjects with known sarcoidosis and from 8 subjects with conjunctival granulomas presumed from causes other than sarcoidosis were immunostained for STAT1.


RESULTS
STAT-1 was readily detectable in all biopsies from patients with sarcoidosis and in 3 controls. The activated form of STAT-1, phosphorylated STAT-1, was also more frequently detected in tissue from subjects with sarcoidosis relative to controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The activities of STAT-1 in regulating the inflammatory response suggest that it contributes to the conjunctival granulomas characteristic of sarcoidosis, but its expression is not specific for either sarcoidosis or all granulomatous conjunctival disease.
Rosenbaum
James T
JT
Casey Eye Institute, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA. rosenbaj@ohsu.edu
Hessellund
Anders
A
Phan
Isabella
I
Planck
Stephen R
SR
Wilson
David J
DJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006099:Granuloma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D010750:Phosphoproteins; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; C494079:STAT1 protein, human