Immune mechanisms in fibrotic pulmonary sarcoidosis

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is an immune-mediated disorder. Its immunopathology has been steadily mapped out over the past few decades. Despite this, the underpinning mechanisms for progressive fibrotic sarcoidosis is an almost uncharted area. Consequently, there has been little change in the clinical management of fibrotic sarcoidosis over the decades and an unfocused search for new therapeutics. In this review, we provide a comprehensive examination of the relevant immune findings in fibrotic and/or progressive pulmonary sarcoidosis and propose a unifying mechanism for the pathobiology of fibrosis in sarcoidosis.