A case of sarcoidosis associated with chronic eosinophilic pneumonia

A 38-year-old man was hospitalized in our university hospital because of pulmonary opacities with bilateral hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy seen on chest radiograph. Eosinophilia was observed in the circulation and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Histological examination revealed noncaseating epithelioid granulomas and eosinophilic infiltration in the lung. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of sarcoidosis combined with chronic eosinophilic pneumonia was made. The infiltrates on chest radiograph and BAL eosinophilia were promptly reduced with corticosteroid therapy, but only mild reduction was observed in diffuse nodular shadows and hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and high amounts of lymphocytes in BAL fluid remained. Increased IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-5 were detected in the BAL fluid, and corticosteroid therapy reduced IL-4 and IL-5 (Th-2 cytokines) but not IFN-γ(Th-1 cytokine). These cytokine levels in BAL fluid were intimately correlated with the clinical course of sarcoidosis and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia.