Phenotypes of organ involvement in sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is a highly variable, systemic granulomatous disease of hitherto unknown aetiology. The GenPhenReSa (Genotype-Phenotype Relationship in Sarcoidosis) project represents a European multicentre study to investigate the influence of genotype on disease phenotypes in sarcoidosis.The baseline phenotype module of GenPhenReSa comprised 2163 Caucasian patients with sarcoidosis who were phenotyped at 31 study centres according to a standardised protocol.

[Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema syndrome].

CPFE-combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema is a new term for a syndrome whose main characteristic is fibrosis in lower pulmonary lobes with simultaneous emphysema in upper pulmonary lobes. CPFE patients have well preserved pulmonary test values for unexpectedly long period, but extremely lowered carbon monoxide diffusion capacity and significant arterial hypertension. All CPFE studies indicate that CPFE occurs predominately in older male population.

WHOQOL-bREF questionnaire as a measure of quality of life in sarcoidosis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a short form of the WHOQOL questionnaire, the WHOQOL-BREF, which consists of 24 questions, in evaluating quality of life (QOL) in sarcoidosis patients. A group of 97 sarcoidosis patients and a matched group of 97 healthy controls took part in the study. Their QOL was examined by means of the WHOQOL-BREF, and the respiratory functions were measured in sarcoidosis patients.

The investigation of HLA microsatellites influence in predisposition to sarcoidosis among Croatians.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the distribution of HLA alleles (A, B, DRB1, DQB1) and HLA microsatellite alleles (TNFa, TNFb, TNFd, D6S273, D6S1014) in the Croatian patients with acute (N=93), as well as chronic sarcoidosis (N=40), in comparison to healthy controls (N=177), and investigate whether the polymorphism within the HLA region could be associated with different forms of sarcoidosis. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood. Patients were analyzed for HLA class I loci (A, B) by serology, while PCR-SSP method was used for HLA class II loci (DRB1, DQB1).