Sarcoidosis is caused by abnormal immune system actions, possibly triggered by an exaggerated response to infection or an allergic reaction. Genetics and family history play a role, and the disease is more common in women and those of northern European or African ancestry. Treatment involves reducing inflammation with corticosteroids.
Sarcoidosis is a disease produced by abnormal actions of the immune system. No definite trigger is known, as of 2011, but scientists think the cause of sarcoidosis may be related to how individual people react to unknown substances in the environment. Genetics, or abnormally strong allergic reactions, may be to blame, but this has not yet been proven. Additionally, sarcoidosis tends to run within families, which strongly points to genetic factors.
A healthy human immune system uses a combination of cell types and molecules to defend itself against infection. Sometimes components of the immune system go haywire and actually cause disease, and this is the basis of sarcoidosis. The known physical cause of sarcoidosis problems is that cells of the immune system stick together abnormally and form clots in essential organs such as the lungs or skin. These lumps are associated with inflammation and, over time, can damage organs and stop them from working properly.
One possible cause of sarcoidosis is that the patient is experiencing an exaggerated response to an infection with a pathogen. Alternatively, the condition may be part of an allergic reaction to something in the environment. In both of these cases, the immune system is to blame, as it does not react proportionately to an immune challenge.
Because sarcoidosis tends to run in families, scientists think that genetic makeup is closely associated with the cause of sarcoidosis. Each individual receives genes from his mother and father, so people who are related tend to share a high percentage of genes. In addition to running in families, sarcoidosis is more common in people whose ancestors came from northern Europe or in people with African ancestry, which further points to a genetic factor in the development of the disease.
Age is also a factor in sarcoidosis, as the disease usually first occurs in people between the ages of 20 and 40. Women also suffer more from the disease than men, which could be due to the difference in genes from the sex chromosomes, or the difference in biology in general. These are the major risk factors for sarcoidosis, and no specific environmental or lifestyle factors were noted in 2011.
Many people with sarcoidosis see their disease improve over the years, and the death rate from the condition is relatively low. A typical treatment for a person with sarcoidosis involves reducing the inflammation and other problems caused by the immune overreaction with corticosteroids. Patients often don’t need medical attention to get better.
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