Evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid phospholipids and cytokine release by alveolar macrophages as prognostic markers in sarcoidosis.

Background: The clinical course of sarcoidosis is unpredictable and reliable laboratory prognostic parameters are lacking.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to estimate the prognostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) phospholipids and cytokine production by alveolar macrophages (AM) in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Methods: We investigated BALF parameters in 64 subjects (55 patients with sarcoidosis and 9 healthy volunteers as controls).