Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis DNA from the Skin Lesion of Sarcoidosis by Polymerase Chain Reaction / 中华皮肤科杂志

ABSTRACT

The cause of sarcoidosis is still unknown. However,the histological similarity between the disorder and tuberculosis suggests that M. tuberculosis might contribute to the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. In attempting to confirm the relation between M. tuberculosis and sarcoidosis,we used the polymerase chain reaction to detect M. tuberculosis DNA from formalin--fixed,paraffin--embeded skin biopsy specimens of 12 patients with sarcoidosis, M. tuberculosis DNA was found in 4 patients. This finding suggests an aetiological role for M. tuberculosis in sarcoidosis.