ENDOTHELIAL-CELL DAMAGE IN SARCOIDOSIS AND NEUROSARCOIDOSIS - AUTOANTIBODIES TO ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS

Damage to the vascular system, of which endothelial cells are the main constituent, may occur in sarcoidosis. Evidence of blood-brain barrie r (BBB) disruption is shown in sarcoidosis with central nervous system (CNS) involvement by means of magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography. We investigated the presence of antiendothelial cell antib odies by culture of endothelial cells derived from human umbilical cor d vein and from human brain using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay , and the presence of circulating immune complexes using a Raji cell a ssay, in the sera of patients with sarcoidosis. The patients with sarc oidosis displayed significantly high levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) binding to endothelial cells after blocking Fc receptor compared to co ntrols (p < 0.01). The sera of neurosarcoid patients with CNS involvem ent still showed significantly increased levels of IgG binding to brai n endothelial cells after blocking Fc receptor compared to controls an d those of pulmonary sarcoidosis (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01 respectively) . These results suggest that the presence of autoantibodies to endothe lial cells may be involved in endothelial cell damage, including BBB d isruption.