Characterization of the lymphocyte phenotype in bronchoalveolar lavage as a prognostic marker in pulmonary sarcoidosis

Introduction: The role of T-lymphocytes (T-LPH) in pulmonary sarcoidosis (PS) is described in the progression of the disease, with proliferation of T-CD4 LPH and IL-18 in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in better prognosis forms, and T-CD8 LPH, Natural Killer (NK), neutrophils, macrophages and eosinophils in the BAL in more aggressive forms. The aim of this study is to describe the LPH populations in BAL and peripheral blood (PB) and its possible utility as a prognostic marker. Material and Methods: Retrospective study of patients with PS followed up in a monograph consultation (2013-2018). The LPH phenotype in PB and BAL was analyzed at the diagnosis; its association with the evolution of the disease by pulmonary function tests is also contemplated. Results: Out of the 51 sarcoidosis, 22 patients with lung involvement in which profile data in PB and BAL was available were studied. The study of the PB LPH profile showed a negative and statistically significant correlation between levels of CD3+ (T) and CD3+CD8+ (T8) LPH and the FVC exchange rate (%) of -0.6398 and -0.5482, respectively. A significant correlation was obtained (p Conclusion: The increase in the percentage of T-LPH, CD8 and NK in PB could have a protective effect on the evolution of the disease. The profile of the LPH phenotype of BAL seems to be unrelated to the progression of the disease. More studies with larger sample size would be necessary to consolidate these results.