title: The expression of STAT-1 and phosphorylated STAT-1 in conjunctival granulomas.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Casey Eye Institute, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA. rosenbaj@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hessellund
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Planck
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D010750:Phosphoproteins; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; C494079:STAT1 protein, human