title: Characteristics of sarcoidosis in Maori and Pacific Islanders.
abstract: Ethnicity is strongly associated with variable clinical presentation in sarcoidosis but the association between ethnicity and clinical characteristics has not previously been described in patients of Polynesian ancestry, Maori and Pacific Islander (PI). The objective of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of sarcoidosis in Maori and PI patients and determine if those were different to European patients.
  
  
  
  A retrospective review of the medical records of 406 patients (69 Maori/PI) attending a specialist interstitial lung disease (ILD) clinic.
  
  
  
  The population (207 females, mean age at presentation: 36) reflected the current New Zealand census data (2013) with only people of Indian ethnicity over-represented. Parenchymal lung involvement was uncommon in Maori and PI patients (21% Scadding stage 2, 2% stage 3), and no patient had extensive pulmonary fibrosis (stage 4). Computed tomography (CT) patterns of sarcoid parenchymal lung involvement were less commonly reported for Maori/PI. There were no differences in respect of baseline lung function or requirement for treatment. Ocular and skin involvement occurred more frequently in Maori and PI (P = 0.0045, P = 0.03), and erythema nodosum was more common in Caucasians (P = 0.0008).
  
  
  
  People of Polynesian ancestry appear to have less pulmonary and more extra-pulmonary manifestations of sarcoidosis. This adds to our knowledge that sarcoidosis heterogeneity is influenced by ethnicity.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Services, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.|Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Margaret L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wilsher
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Services, North Shore Hospital, Waitemata District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Services, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Raewyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Services, North Shore Hospital, Waitemata District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cornere
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
keywords: Polynesian; ethnicity; pulmonary function tests; sarcoidosis