Mass cytometry identifies distinct lung CD4+ T cell patterns in Löfgren's syndrome and non-LS sarcoidosis

Using mass cytometry and unbiased cluster analysis, we aimed to perform a detailed characterisation of CD4+ T cells in bronchoalveolar lavage from two groups of sarcoidosis patients: those with acute form Löfgren's syndrome (LS), who usually have a better prognosis and a self-limiting disease course, and those with non-LS, who have a higher risk of developing chronic disease and ultimately pulmonary fibrosis. With this approach, we hoped to identify markers that can be targeted in future studies of sarcoidosis and potentially used for prognostic and ideally therapeutic measures.
Conclusion:
Mass cytometry provides a powerful and sensitive means of understanding cellular mechanisms of disease that could prove especially valuable in heterogeneous conditions such as non-LS sarcoidosis, and markers that differentiate disease phenotypes could potentially be exploited for future therapeutic purposes in non-resolving disease. An more pronounced regulatory profile in LS along with decreased adhesive capacity of CD4+ T cells, offer a stark contrast to the non-LS effector profile and a direct link to characteristic clinical symptoms. The demonstrated ability to detect significant differences at the molecular level, despite low sample numbers and limited availability of cells from the lungs, could be employed to further distinguish between clinical subtypes, e.g. based on presence of extra-pulmonary symptoms. CyTOF 32-parameter panel