Objective/Purpose
To investigate new diagnostic tool for sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is an idiopathic inflammatory disorder involving multiple organs, and ocular manifestation (represented by granulomatous uveitis) is one of the common features. A well-known immunological feature in sarcoidosis is an increased CD4+ helper T cell type 1 lymphocyte subset in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In this study, we investigated the vitreous lymphocyte subsets of ocular sarcoidosis to elucidate the immunological features of this disorder in the eye.

Materials/Patients
Seven patients with sarcoidosis, confirmed by diagnostic criteria with BALF, were enrolled in this study.

Methods
Evaluation of diagnostic tests for cell profiles of sarcoidosis. Lymphocytes in the vitreous samples were analyzed by cytology, polymerase chain reaction, and flow cytometry. BALF was also obtained from each patient and analyzed in comparison with the vitreous samples.

Results and Conclusion
CD4/CD8 ratios of the vitreous T lymphocyte was high as same as BALF samples in same patient. In the ocular sarcoidosis patients, the CD4 ratios of vitreal T lymphocytes were significantly higher than the CD4 ratios of BALF T lymphocytes. Our findings suggest that the CD4/CD8 ratio of vitreous infiltrating lymphocytes has high diagnostic value in ocular sarcoidosis, comparable to that of the CD4/CD8 ratio in BAL fluid lymphocytosis for pulmonary sarcoidosis. Diagnostic vitrectomy using flow cytometric analysis may be a useful adjunct for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis, particularly in complex cases.

[ Keyword ]
sarcoidosis / CD4/CD8 ratio / flow cytometric analysis

[ Conflict of Interest ]
No