Antimycobacterial immune responses in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown origin. Pathogenetic involvement of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has frequently been discussed in the aetiology of sarcoidosis; however, studies still remain contradictory.

Objective: We addressed the question of mycobacterial involvement in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis by analysing cellular immune responses to mycobacterial antigens.