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Sarcoidosis, also called sarcoid, is a disease involving abnormal collections of inflammatory cells (granulomas) that can form as nodules in multiple organs. The granulomas are most often located in the lungs or its associated lymph nodes, but any organ can be affected. Sarcoidosis seems to be caused by an immune reaction to an infection or some other trigger (called an antigen) that continues even after the initial infection or other antigen is cleared from the body. In most cases it clears up by itself without any medical intervention, but some cases go on to affect the person long-term or become life-threatening and require medical intervention, most often with medications.〔 1 alpha, 25(OH)2 Vitamin D3 is the main cause for high blood calcium in sarcoidosis and is overproduced by sarcoid granulomata. Gamma-interferon produced by activated lymphocytes and macrophages plays a major role in the synthesis of 1 alpha, 25(OH)2 Vitamin D3. Treatment is usually designed to help relieve the symptoms and thus does not directly alter the course of the disease.〔 This treatment usually consists of anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or aspirin.〔 In cases where the condition develops to the point that it has a progressive and/or life-threatening course, the treatment is most often steroid treatment with prednisone or prednisolone.〔 Alternatively, drugs that are most commonly used to treat cancer and suppress the immune system, such as methotrexate, azathioprine and leflunomide, may be used.〔〔〔 The average mortality rate is less than 5% in untreated cases.〔 In the United States it most commonly affects people of Northern European (especially Scandinavian or Icelandic) or African/African American ancestry between the ages of 20 and 29, although any race or age group can be affected.〔 Japan has a lower rate of sarcoidosis than the United States, although in these people the disease is usually more aggressive in its course with the heart often affected.〔 Japanese individuals also have a different peak age for sarcoidosis, 25–40 years of age. It occurs about twice as often in women, where it usually takes a more aggressive course.〔 In developing countries, it often goes misdiagnosed as tuberculosis (TB) as its symptoms often resemble those of TB.〔 Sarcoidosis was first described in 1877 by an English doctor named Dr. Jonathan Hutchinson as a skin disease causing red, raised lesions on the arms, face, and hands. ==Signs and symptoms== Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease that can affect any organ, although it can be asymptomatic and is discovered by accident in about 5% of cases. Common symptoms, which tend to be vague, include fatigue (unrelieved by sleep; occurs in 66% of cases), lack of energy, weight loss, joint aches and pains (which occur in about 70% of cases),〔 arthritis (14–38% of persons), dry eyes, swelling of the knees, blurry vision, shortness of breath, a dry, hacking cough, or skin lesions.〔〔 Less commonly, people may cough up blood.〔 The cutaneous symptoms vary, and range from rashes and noduli (small bumps) to erythema nodosum, granuloma annulare, or lupus pernio. Sarcoidosis and cancer may mimic one another, making the distinction difficult. The combination of erythema nodosum, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, and joint pain is called Löfgren syndrome which has a relatively good prognosis.〔 This form of the disease occurs significantly more commonly in Scandinavian patients, than in those of non-Scandinavian origin.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「sarcoidosis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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