GROWTH OF ACID-FAST L FORMS FROM THE BLOOD OF PATIENTS WITH SARCOIDOSIS

Background - Acid fast cell wall deficient forms (CWDF) of bacteria ha ve been grown from blood, bronchial washings, and ocular anterior cham ber fluid from patients with sarcoidosis. A monoclonal antibody raised against Mycobacterium tuberculosis whole cell antigen (H(37)RV) was u sed to characterise further CWDF growth from the blood of patients wit h sarcoidosis. Methods - Blood from 20 patients with active sarcoidosi s and from 20 controls was cultured using methods favourable for the g rowth of CWDF. Isolates were further characterised by indirect fluores cent antibody analysis using a monoclonal antibody highly reactive wit h M tuberculosis. Results - CWDF were grown from the blood of 19 of 20 subjects with sarcoidosis. All isolates stained positively with the m onoclonal antibody and with a modified Kinyoun stain. No organisms wer e grown from the blood of controls. Conclusions - These data demonstra te that CWDF can be grown from the blood of nearly all patients with a ctive sarcoidosis. The results confirm that the organisms are mycobact erial in origin and are similar, if not identical, to M tuberculosis. Their role in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis is unknown.