Propionibacterium acnes isolated from lymph nodes of patients with sarcoidosis

Propionibacterium acnes isolated from lymph nodes of patients with sarcoidosis

Authors

  • Bart de Brouwer Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital
  • Marcel Veltkamp St. Antonius Hospital
  • Carla A Wauters Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital
  • Jan C Grutters St. Antonius Hospital
  • Rob Janssen Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital

Keywords:

Propionibacterium acnes, sarcoidosis, mediastinoscopy

Abstract

Propionibacterium acnes has been repeatedly suggested as a candidate causative agent of sarcoidosis. It is the only microorganism that has been isolated from sarcoid lesions by bacterial culture so far and this has been described in Japanese patients only. We report two non-Japanese patients in whom mediastinoscopy was performed in order to obtain lymph node tissue for histopathology, which was suggestive for sarcoidosis. Bacterial culture of these uncontaminated mediastinal lymph nodes revealed P. acnes in both patients. As shown in these two cases, P. acnes can be isolated from sterile biopsied sarcoid lymph nodes of non-Japanese patients and supports the belief that there is an etiologic link between P. acnes sarcoidosis. Further elucidation could provide an opening to novel strategies using antibiotics for treating sarcoidosis.

Author Biographies

Bart de Brouwer, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital

MD

Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Marcel Veltkamp, St. Antonius Hospital

MD PhD

Center of Interstitial Lung Diseases, Department of Pulmonology, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

Carla A Wauters, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital

MD PhD

Department of Pathology, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Jan C Grutters, St. Antonius Hospital

MD PhD

Center of Interstitial Lung Diseases, Department of Pulmonology, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

Rob Janssen, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital

MD PhD

Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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Published

14-09-2015

Issue

Section

Case Reports

How to Cite

1.
de Brouwer B, Veltkamp M, Wauters CA, Grutters JC, Janssen R. Propionibacterium acnes isolated from lymph nodes of patients with sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis [Internet]. 2015 Sep. 14 [cited 2025 May 21];32(3):271-4. Available from: https://mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/sarcoidosis/article/view/3999