The aim of the present study was to identify M1 and M2 macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from patients with sarcoidosis and assess the effect of smoking on these cells

359 the accumulation of T lymphocytes, mononuclear phagocytes, and granulomas in affected tissues.6 Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are the main lung cell population that serves as the first line of cellular defense against pollutants owing to their antigen presenting function and phagocytic properties.7 Granulomas are closed, centrally organized collections of macrophages and epithelial cells surrounded by lymphocytes. Macrophages differentiate into epithelioid cells (after chronic cytokine stimulation), lose some phagocytic capacity, INTRODUCTION Sarcoidosis is a multiorgan granulomatous disease, which most often affects the lungs. It is estimated that from 1 to 40 per 100,000 inhabitants are affected by sarcoidosis.1 The disease is observed all over the world irrespective of the race, sex, and age.2,3 The annual incidence of sarcoidosis in Poland is approximately 10 per 100,000 people.4 The etiology of sarcoidosis is unknown but, in a recent study, Dubaniewicz et al.5 highlighted the possible role of macrophages. Sarcoidosis is characterized by Correspondence to: Iwona Osińska, MSc, Katedra i Zakład Patomorfologii, Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny, ul. Banacha 1a 61, 02-097 Warszawa, Poland, phone: +48-22-599-28-53, fax: +48-22-599-15-60, e-mail: [email protected] Received: March 14, 2014. Revision accepted: March 20, 2014. Published online: May 14, 2014. Conflict of interest: none declared. Pol Arch Med Wewn. 2014; 124 (7-8): 359-364 Copyright by Medycyna Praktyczna, Kraków 2014