title: Elevated tenascin-C levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with sarcoidosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sarcoidosis is a disease characterized by granulomatous lesions involving multiple organ systems. The etiology of sarcoidosis remains unknown, and reliable biomarkers have not been identified. Tenascin-C is an extracellular matrix molecule expressed during wound healing in various tissues. The present study aimed to investigate the role of tenascin-C in sarcoidosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to measure tenascin-C levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from 31 patients with sarcoidosis and 15 healthy individuals. Relationships between tenascin-C concentrations in BALF and serum samples and clinical parameters in patients with sarcoidosis were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BALF tenascin-C levels were significantly higher in patients with sarcoidosis than in healthy individuals, but serum levels were no different. BALF tenascin-C levels showed positive correlations with serum lactic dehydrogenase levels and the ratio of lymphocytes in BALF. BALF tenascin-C levels were also higher in patients with parenchymal infiltration on chest radiographs than in those without.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results demonstrated that the BALF tenascin-C level was correlated with pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiographs in patients with sarcoidosis. Although measurement of serum tenascin-C levels has a limited role and measurement of BALF tenascin-C levels might be impractical, tenascin-C in the lung might play a role in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. Further studies are necessary to determine the role of BALF tenascin-C in sarcoidosis.
authors: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan.
authors: Hanako
authors: H
authors: Fujita
authors: Noriho
authors: N
authors: Sakamoto
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Ishimatsu
authors: Tomoyuki
authors: T
authors: Kakugawa
authors: Shota
authors: S
authors: Nakashima
authors: Shintaro
authors: S
authors: Hara
authors: Atsuko
authors: A
authors: Hara
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Mukae
authors: Shigeru
authors: S
authors: Kohno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D045022:Lactate Dehydrogenases / Q000097:blood; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D019063:Tenascin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019063:Tenascin; D045022:Lactate Dehydrogenases