| Research Abstract |
To study whether or not lipid antigens are one of causative agents of sarcoidosis, we investigated the expression of the CD1 family, lipid antigen-presenting molecules, by dendritic cells in human sarcoid lesions.
The following antibodies were used for immunohistochemical studies : anti-CD1a(O10), anti-CD1b(4A7.6.5), anti-CD1c(L161), and anti-CD83(IM2069). Biopsied specimens were obtained from 8 patients with sarcoidosis : skin lesion from 1 patient, lymph nodes from 2 patients, pulmonary lesion from 1 patient, and muscle lesions from 4 patients. CD1 proteins were positively expressed by dendritic cells in sarcoid lesions from 4 patients. These positive cells were distributed inside granulomas as well as around granulomas. There were no relations between the cases with CD1 positive cells and their disease activities. In addition, the experimental models on B57BL/6 mice showed granuloma formation that were compatible to sarcoid lesions by the administration of trechalose-6, 6'-dimycolate.
These results indicate that the CD1 system may play an important role in the development of sarcoid lesions.
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