Abstract
We performed polymerase chain reaction analysis, for
Mycobacterium
species 16S rRNA,
rpoB
, and IS
6110
sequences, on 25 tissue specimens from patients with sarcoidosis and on 25 control tissue specimens consisting of mediastinal or cervical lymph nodes and lung biopsies.
Mycobacterium
species 16S rRNA sequences were amplified from 12 (48%)
rpoB
sequences from 6 (24%) of the sarcoidosis specimens. In total, 16S rRNA or
rpoB
sequences were amplified from 15 sarcoidosis specimens (60%) but were not detected in any of the control tissues (p=0.00002, Chi square). In three specimens, the sequences resembled
Mycobacterium
species other than
M. tuberculosis
. All specimens with sequences consistent with
M. tuberculosis
were negative for IS
6110
. We provide evidence that one of a variety of
Mycobacterium
species
,
especially organisms resembling
M. tuberculosis,
is found in most patients with sarcoidosis.