SerumC-reactive protein concentrations inpatients withpulmonary sarcoidosis

Inaprospective study serum C-reactive protein concentrations were measured innine patients with"active" pulmonary sarcoidosis (asassessed bybronchoalveolar lavage lymphocyte counts, gallium-67 lungscanning, andserial pulmonary function testing), andinfive patients with "inactive" disease. Active pulmonary sarcoidosis wasassociated either with no rise orwithonly a modest rise inserumC-reactive protein concentrations. Incontrast, serumC-reactive protein con- centrations in12patients withsputumpositive pulmonary tuberculosis wereconsiderably raised. SerumC-reactive protein may thus provide avaluable testinthedifferentiation ofsarcoidosis from conditions whichitmay mimicandwhich areknowntoinduce an acutephase response.