Use of discriminant analysis in assessing pulmonary function worsening in patients with sarcoidosis by a panel of inflammatory biomarkers

Objectives and design To date, no sufficiently sensitive and specific single marker has been found to predict the clinical course of sarcoidosis. We designed a cohort study to investigate whether a panel of biomarkers measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and peripheral blood could help predict pulmonary function worsening during the clinical course of sarcoidosis.