Smoking inhibits the frequency of bronchovascular bundle thickening in sarcoidosis

RATIONALE/OBJECTIVES: Smoking has been associated with decreased incidence and prevalence of sarcoidosis, but few studies have evaluated effects of smoking on clinical parameters of the disease. The objectives were to determine the association of smoking with radiographic patterns and to evaluate the associations of these smoking-related radiographic patterns on airflow obstruction in sarcoidosis. METHODS: Clinical data and CT scans of 124 patients with sarcoidosis were reviewed. CT scans were assessed for lymph nodes, nodules, bronchiectasis, bronchovascular bundle thickening, displaced hilum, fibrosis, ground glass, emphysema, pleural changes, and alveolar opacities. CT patterns were compared between patients with and without a history of smoking. The effect of smoking on the associations between radiographic patterns and airflow obstruction was assessed with multivariable analysis. RESULTS: Smokers had less frequency of bronchovascular bundle thickening than nonsmokers (11/38 subjects(29%) vs. 50/86 subjects(58%),p=0.003) and more emphysema (7/38 subjects(18%) vs. 1/86 subjects(1%),p=0.001). Patients who had bronchovascular bundle thickening were less likely to have ever smoked (11/61 subjects(18%) vs. 27/63 subjects(43%), p=0.003) or be current smokers (4/61 subjects(7%) vs. 15/63 subjects(24%),p=0.008). Age (p=0.003) and bronchovascular bundle thickening (p=0.02) were independent predictors of airflow obstruction. There were no differences in smoking history between patients with airflow obstruction versus those without (10/37 subjects(27)% vs. 28/87 subjects(32%),p=0.63). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with sarcoidosis, smoking is associated with decreased frequency of bronchovascular bundle thickening, a very important clinical manifestation of the lung disease. Further, bronchovascular bundle thickening and age are the only independent predictors of airflow obstruction, and smoking does not confound these associations

Seasonal variation of the onset of presentations in stage 1 sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a chronic disease with an unknown aetiology. Our aim was to evaluate the pattern of seasonality of stage 1 sarcoidosis subjects who had symptoms by all cases, by age and by both genders. In this study, we used Roger's test for cyclic variation to prove that this seasonal variation was more than chance

Considerations in seasonal variation studies in IBD and re-evaluation of Aratari et al.'s seasonality results

[Abstract Not Available

Seasonality of the onset of symptoms, Tuberculin test anergy and Kveim positive reaction in a large cohort of patients with sarcoidosis

Background and objectives: Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown aetiology and pathogenesis. This study evaluated the seasonal variation in the onset of symptoms, Tuberculin anergy and Kveim positive reaction in a cohort of 492 patients with sarcoidosis and in a subgroup of 248 patients with known Kveim test responses

Analysis of 275 patients with sarcoidosis over a 38 year period; a single-institution experience

SummaryBackgroundSarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease with unknown etiology.Objectives: We evaluated seasonal variation, demographic, clinical and diagnostic features of sarcoidosis in recently diagnosed symptomatic patients in the whole cohort (275 patients) and in the subgroups according to the estimated disease course (subacute course group vs. chronic course group). We also developed a prediction model to predict the course of sarcoidosis using simple clinical and demographic variables.Material and methodsTwo hundred and seventy-five patients with sarcoidosis.Measurements and statisticsRoger's test, chi-square, t-test and multiple logistic regression were used.ResultsThe distribution of cumulative monthly diagnosis was the lowest in November (fall) (p<0.01). Seasonal pattern was influenced by age and gender. Constitutional symptoms, stages 2 and 3 diseases and the absence of erythema nodosum were highly significant parameters for chronic course. Using these variables, the developed model had a specificity of 93.1% and its positive predictive value was 89.5%. Progression of the disease was documented 6.4% in subacute group vs. 32.1% in chronic group (p=0.00001). Preventive effect of smoking was more pronounced in females than in males in our cohort.ConclusionsFurther well-designed and large prospective studies are required to better understand the importance of these findings, and to validate the prediction model presented here

Analysis of 87 patients with Lofgren's syndrome and the pattern of seasonality of subacute sarcoidosis

Background: Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease of unknown aetiology. The seasonality of sarcoidosis in symptomatic, recently diagnosed patients with Lofgren's syndrome was evaluated to help better understand the possible causative factor(s) in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis

The relationship between the inflammatory markers and arterial distensibility in patients with sarcoidosis

Objectives: Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disorder of unknown etiology and is characterized by noncaseating granulomas in organs. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that chronic inflammation may impair arterial function and lead to an increase in arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) in patients with sarcoidosis