Understanding Cardiac Sarcoidosis on a Cellular Level

Sarcoidosis is an autoimmune disease characterized by granulomas that typically appear in the lungs and lymph nodes. Most sarcoidosis research has been in pulmonary sarcoidosis, with less known about cardiac sarcoidosis.

To understand more about cardiac sarcoidosis and how its presentation overlaps with its pulmonary counterpart, a recent study examined datasets to pinpoint how active different genes are during these diseases. They found that immune cells and a specific type of connective tissue cells called stromal cells were increased during both types of sarcoidosis. Specifically in cardiac stromal cells, they saw an increase in proinflammatory signals during sarcoidosis. Cardiac muscle cells also showed signs of cardiac stress during cardiac sarcoidosis.

While there are differences between the disease when it manifests in different tissues, the researchers were able to note some trends in the two diseases. This work can help scientists understand how cells behave in sarcoidosis and can act as a springboard for future treatments for sarcoidosis.

This work was supported in part by the Global Autoimmune Institute.

Citation

Daoud, A., Lema, D. A., Won, T., & Čiháková, D. (2023). Integrative single-cell analysis of cardiac and pulmonary sarcoidosis using publicly available cardiac and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid sequencing datasets. Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 10, 1227818. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2023.1227818