GENETICS OF SARCOIDOSIS

Familial clustering of sarcoidosis has long been reported, although li ttle is known about the genetics of this disease. Only a few studies h ave actually tried to quantitate the genetic component in sarcoidosis. The disease pathophysiology has led to a number of HLA association st udies, but no consistent genetic link has been identified. The inabili ty to find a genetic link for sarcoidosis may be due to the methods pr eviously applied to examine this issue. We present an outline for futu re genetic studies with more promise for positive findings.