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. 2020 Aug 17;63(6):727–738. doi: 10.1165/rcmb.2020-0070PS

Table 2.

Summary of Studies Investigating Protein Changes in Sarcoidosis

Study Tissue Type Studied Sarcoidosis Control Subjects Proteomics Method Findings
Magi 2002 (83) BALF Active sarcoidosis (n = 6) IPF (n = 6) 2DE Thirty-two protein spots with differential expression, of which 15 were more abundant in sarcoidosis
Sabounchi-Schütt 2003 (84) BALF Acute onset LS (n = 6) Healthy (n = 4) 2DE-MALDI-TOF Seventeen protein spots different in sarcoidosis; seven proteins not previously reported in BALF were also identified
Sabounchi-Schütt 2004 (27) Serum Sarcoidosis (n = 6) Healthy (n = 4) 2DE and MALDI-TOF Twenty-two protein spots were different between subjects with sarcoidosis and control subjects, 14 were more abundant and eight were less abundant in sarcoidosis. Nineteen spots had a statistically significant difference. Eleven proteins were identified from thee protein spots
Kriegova 2006 (55) BALF Stage I (n = 32 [LS = 14; NLS = 18]), stage II (n = 22), and stage III (n = 11) Healthy (n = 23) SELDI-TOF MS Forty differentially expressed protein peaks, of which three were identified to be protococadherein-2 precursor, HSA, and alpha-1 antitrypsin
Rottoli 2005 (88) BALF Active sarcoidosis (n = 11) IPF (n = 10) and SSc pulmonary fibrosis (n = 10) 2DE and cellular profile by flow cytometry. An increase in plasma protein in BALF from sarcoidosis and SSc and more locally produced lower molecular weight proteins in IPF
Rottoli 2005 (87) BALF Active sarcoidosis IPF (n = 10) and SSc pulmonary fibrosis (n = 10) Carbonylated proteins assessed by ELISA Increase in carbonylated proteins in the subjects with diffuse lung diseases compared with control subjects. Patients with IPF had more carbonylation protein targets, including plasmatic proteins and transferrin immunoglobulin light chain, and IgA. Albumin and immunoglobulin heavy chain target carbonylated in all cases and control subjects and may act as a buffer and prevent other proteins from oxidant damage
Silva 2007 (86) BALF Sarcoidosis (n = 4) Chronic beryllium disease (n = 4) and control subjects (n = 5) DIGE coupled with MALDI-TOF Sixteen protein spots and five proteins were different in subjects with sarcoidosis versus control subjects. Seventeen protein spots and eight proteins were different in subjects with CBD and control subjects, and one protein was downregulated in sarcoidosis compared with CBD. One protein was more abundant in sarcoidosis (compared with CBD) and could not be identified
Landi 2013 (89) BALF Sarcoidosis (n = 9) IPF (n = 7), PLCH (n = 9), and SSc pulmonary fibrosis, n = 7 2DE with MALDI-TOF MS/MS An average of 1,000 spots were identified in each gel, and 154 spots were differentially expressed in various comparisons corresponding with 77 proteins. The proteins mapped to biological pathways involved in defense, inflammation, and response to stress
Silva 2013 (19) Soluble protein fraction from alveolar macrophages Sarcoidosis (n = 7) Healthy (n = 7) DIGE followed by MALDI-TOF Sixty-nine protein spots were significantly different, corresponding with 25 unique proteins (17 upregulated and eight downregulated) in sarcoidosis. Clathrin mediated endocytosis and Fcχ receptor mediated phagocytosis
Du 2015 (25) Serum Sarcoidosis (n = 20) Tuberculosis (n = 20) and healthy control subjects (n = 20) Human cytokine antibody array ICAM-1 and leptin discriminate cases with sarcoidosis from those with tuberculosis.
Landi 2015 (85) BALF Stage II/III active pulmonary sarcoidosis (n = 9) Nonsmokers (n = 10) and smokers (n = 8) 2DE and MALDI-TOF MS or LC MS/MS Differentially expressed proteins map to PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAP kinase, pluripotency-associated transcriptional factor, and hypoxia response pathway
Häggmark 2015 (26) BALF and plasma LS (n = 139) and NLS (n = 140) Asthma (n = 17) and healthy subjects (n = 49) Planar antigen microarray Sarcoidosis cases have higher reactivity to zinc finger protein 688 and mitochondrial protein L43
Kjellin 2016 (18) Alveolar macrophages Sarcoidosis (n = 8) Control subjects (n = 6) iTRAQ LC MS/MS Eighty differentially expressed proteins were identified. There was upregulation of two phagocytotic pathways (Fcγ receptor–mediated phagocytosis and clathrin-mediated endocytosis signaling). Pyruvate metabolism was upregulated in sarcoidosis cases. Oxidative phosphorylation pathway was upregulated in patients with LS and downregulated in patients without LS
Martinez-Bravo 2017 (15) BALF exosomes Sarcoidosis (n = 15) Healthy (n = 5) iTRAQ LC MS/MS on BALF exosomes Six-hundred and ninety proteins were quantified consistently in exosomes. Proteins more abundant in patients with sarcoidosis are involved in innate and adaptive immune response, protein maturation, and homeostasis. There were indications of downregulation of endocytosis, catabolism (such as peptidase and endopeptidase activity and ubiquitination), and metabolic processes

Definition of abbreviations: 2DE = two-dimensional electrophoresis; CBD = chronic beryllium disease; DIGE = difference gel electrophoresis; ICAM-1 = intercellular adhesion molecule-1; IPF = idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; iTRAQ = isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification; LC = liquid chromatography; LS = Lofgren’s syndrome; MALDI = matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization; MAP = mitogen-actived protein; MS = mass spectrometry; MS/MS = tandem MS; NLS = non–Lofgren’s syndrome; PLCH = pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis; SELDI = surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization; SSc = systemic sclerosis; TOF = time of flight.