Bronchoalveolar T lymphocytes and pulmonary sarcoidosis.

In recent years, our understanding of the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis has markedly changed. Originally, it was felt that sarcoidosis was a disease that was caused by a state of anergy. More recent studies suggest that sarcoidosis is not a disease of anergy but is mediated by a classic, heightened cellular immune process. It is hoped that additional studies utilizing inflammatory and immune effector cells obtained from sites of disease will further elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms leading to granuloma formation in patients with sarcoidosis.