[Cutaneous sarcoid granuloma: cytoimmunological study of the lymphocytes (freed cells and tissue sections) (author's transl)].

Cutaneous lesions in sarcoidosis are characterized by epithelioid nodules surrounded by lymphocytes. The B- or T-cell subpopulation was identified by quantitative immunological methods on freed cells and immunocytochemical labelling on tissue sections. Most of the liberated cells formed spontaneous rosettes with sheep erythrocytes and were devoid of membrane immunoglobulins. On tissue sections most of the lymphoid cells were labelled by anti-HTLA serum. These results demonstrate the thymodependent origin of lymphocytes in sarcoidosis granuloma. A possible cell-mediated immune reaction against an unknown antigen is suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of this disorder.