Elsevier, Respiratory Medicine, 10(107), p. 1617-1624, 2013
DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2013.07.019
Full text: Unavailable
Background: No biological marker is currently available for evaluating pulmonary involvement and/or for monitoring the clinical course of sarcoidosis. The present pilot study focused on possible relationships between circulating plasma levels of surfactant protein type B (SP-B) and plasma receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and lung function abnormalities in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, since both SP-B and RAGE have been previously suggested as lung injury markers. The plasmatic levels of these two proteins were also investigated with respect to functional capacity, as assessed by a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). Methods: Thirty pulmonary sarcoidosis outpatients and fifteen volunteers (Control Group) underwent lung function tests and CPET. Resting SP-B and RAGE plasma levels were also determined. Patients were then categorized according to the severity of their pulmonary involvement, as assessed in terms of lung diffusion for carbon monoxide (DLCO) values. Results: Group B showed SP-B levels higher and RAGE levels lower than Group A and Control Group (p