Targeting the mycobiome in sarcoidosis

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Source: Frontiers Medicine

Original: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1747685...

Published: 2026-01-30T00:00:00Z

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease characterized by the formation of non-caseous granulomas mainly in the lungs and lymph nodes, while its cause remains unknown. The study investigated the role of fungi in the pathogenesis of 13 patients with sarcoidosis and 5 controls with other lung diseases. Samples from bronchoalveolar lavage, lung tissue biopsies and blood (cultured and uncultured) were analyzed by the ITS sequencing method. Characteristic fungal communities were found in patient samples with the genera Penicillium, Mucor, Saccharomyces and Yarrowia as potential pathogens. Sample type and processing method affected composition, with cultured samples having lower diversity dominated by fast-growing taxa. The study confirms diverse fungal communities in blood and respiratory samples with possible immunomodulatory effects. The findings support fungi as antigenic factors in sarcoidosis and suggest further functional studies of fungal-host interactions.