Pulmonary granulomas appear in a heterogeneous group of diseases that present with variable clinical characteristics often challenging to diagnose. Granulomas themselves are non-specific histopathological entities that may be present in either infectious or non-infectious diseases.
Sarcoidosis is a multi-organ granulomatous disease considered to occur from exposure to poorly soluble environmental antigen(s) which provoke host inflammatory and/or adaptive immune responses. Currently, the identity of such an antigen has not been confirmed in sarcoidosis. Diagnosis is usually determined by clinical history, biopsy findings of non-caseating granulomas with adjacent inflammatory cell infiltrates, and negative studies for active infection.
The aim of this Research Topic is to present current understanding of the causation and immune cellular mechanisms associated with granulomatous diseases, with a focus on sarcoidosis, a granulomatous disease of obscure etiology. We also seek to highlight new directions for investigative and diagnostic approaches targeting the immune system to treat sarcoidosis and other granulomatous conditions.
We welcome the submission of Reviews, Original Research, and articles relating to pulmonary granulomatous diseases and focusing on the following immunological aspects:
• Environmental risk factors;
• Epidemiology of sarcoidosis;
• Mechanisms involving alveolar macrophage activation;
• Immunological markers to characterize the immunopathogenesis of sarcoidosis;
• Experimental models studying the immune response in pulmonary granulomatous diseases;
• Characterization of Th1 pathways in beryllium lung disease/sarcoidosis;
• Th17-mediated pathophysiology of sarcoidosis/ pulmonary granulomatous diseases;
• Carbon nanotubes and granuloma formation;
• Current approaches targeting the immune system for treatment of sarcoidosis.
Pulmonary granulomas appear in a heterogeneous group of diseases that present with variable clinical characteristics often challenging to diagnose. Granulomas themselves are non-specific histopathological entities that may be present in either infectious or non-infectious diseases.
Sarcoidosis is a multi-organ granulomatous disease considered to occur from exposure to poorly soluble environmental antigen(s) which provoke host inflammatory and/or adaptive immune responses. Currently, the identity of such an antigen has not been confirmed in sarcoidosis. Diagnosis is usually determined by clinical history, biopsy findings of non-caseating granulomas with adjacent inflammatory cell infiltrates, and negative studies for active infection.
The aim of this Research Topic is to present current understanding of the causation and immune cellular mechanisms associated with granulomatous diseases, with a focus on sarcoidosis, a granulomatous disease of obscure etiology. We also seek to highlight new directions for investigative and diagnostic approaches targeting the immune system to treat sarcoidosis and other granulomatous conditions.
We welcome the submission of Reviews, Original Research, and articles relating to pulmonary granulomatous diseases and focusing on the following immunological aspects:
• Environmental risk factors;
• Epidemiology of sarcoidosis;
• Mechanisms involving alveolar macrophage activation;
• Immunological markers to characterize the immunopathogenesis of sarcoidosis;
• Experimental models studying the immune response in pulmonary granulomatous diseases;
• Characterization of Th1 pathways in beryllium lung disease/sarcoidosis;
• Th17-mediated pathophysiology of sarcoidosis/ pulmonary granulomatous diseases;
• Carbon nanotubes and granuloma formation;
• Current approaches targeting the immune system for treatment of sarcoidosis.