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Having a family member with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) impacts the prognosis of sarcoidosis patients, as the majority of patients reporting at least one relative with PF present fibrotic characteristics and one-third develop a progressive phenotype https://bit.ly/40KC7Cr., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: T. Planté-Bordeneuve reports support for the present manuscript from Bourse de Perfectionnement Fondation Mont Godinne, Fondation Médicale Horlait-Dapsens, and Bourse d'Excellence WBI World; and advisory board meeting fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, outside the submitted work. C.J.M. van Moorsel reports grants from Boehringer Ingelheim outside the submitted work; speaker fees from Boehringer Ingelheim outside the submitted work; and is cochair of the ClinGen ILD gene curation expert panel, disclosure made outside the submitted work. M. Veltkamp reports payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers’ bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Chiesi Pharmaceuticals outside the submitted work; and payment for expert testimony from Boehringer Inghelheim outside the submitted work. W. van Es reports payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers’ bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Boeringher Ingelheim outside the submitted work. M. Terwiel, J.J. van der Vis and J.C. Grutters have nothing to disclose., (Copyright ©The authors 2025.)

Background: The presence of familial interstitial lung disease (ILD) has been found to predict development of progressive pulmonary fibrosis. However, the role of non-ILD lung diseases in ILD patients' families has not yet been investigated. We aimed to identify associations between ILDs and non-ILD lung diseases from ILD patients' self-reported family health history., Methods: We analysed questionnaires on family health history of 1164 ILD patients for the occurrence of ILD and non-ILD lung disease in relatives. Logistic regression analysis was used to study associations with diagnosis groups., Results: Familial pulmonary fibrosis was reported by 20% of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF; OR 9.2, 95% CI 4.7-17.9), and 15% of patients with unclassifiable pulmonary fibrosis (OR 4.1, 95% CI 2.0-8.2). Familial occurrence was reported by 14% of patients with sarcoidosis (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.9-5.8). Regarding non-ILD lung disease, significantly more patients with IPF (36%) reported lung cancer in their family (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.4-3.5), and patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (18%) mostly reported COPD (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.3-4.2). Comparison of sporadic and familial ILD patients' reports showed that emphysema (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.8-11.6), and lung cancer (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.9) were predictive for familial pulmonary fibrosis, particularly when reported both in a family (OR 16.7, 95% CI 3.2-86.6; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence for clustering of ILD and non-ILD lung diseases in families and show that self-reported emphysema and lung cancer of relatives in this population predicts familial pulmonary fibrosis., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: It has been suggested that sarcoidosis patients, especially those on immunosuppressive medications, are at increased risk for COVID-19 infection and more severe disease., Methods: A questionnaire was developed in four languages (English, Dutch, Italian, and Spanish). The questionnaire queried whether patients had been infected with COVID-19 and outcome of the infection. Risk factors for COVID-19 infection were collected., Results: A total of 5200 sarcoidosis patients completed the questionnaire with 116 (2.23%) reporting infection and 18 (15.8%) required hospitalization. Increased hazard ratio (HR) for COVID-19 infection were seen for those with a COVID-19 infected roommate (HR=27.44, p<0.0001), health care provider (HR=2.4, p=0.0001), pulmonary sarcoidosis (HR=2.48, p=0.001), neurosarcoidosis (HR=2.02, p<0.01), or rituximab treatment (HR=5.40, p<0.0001). A higher rate of hospitalization was found for those with underlying heart disease (HR=3.19 (1.297-7.855), p<0.02). No other feature including race, other immunosuppressive agent, age, or underlying condition was associated with a significant increased risk for infection or more severe disease., Conclusion: The overall rate of COVID-19 was 2.23%, suggesting an increased rate of COVID-19 infection. However, when an analysis of the questionnaires of sarcoidosis and non-sarcoidosis patients was performed in one localized area over this time period, the rate of COVID-19 infection was similar in both groups. Sarcoidosis patients who cohabitated with COVID-19 infected individuals, worked in health care, had pulmonary or neurologic sarcoidosis, or were treated with rituximab had an increased risk for COVID-19 infection. No significant increased risk for hospitalization could be identified based on age, race, gender or any specific immunosuppressive treatment. (Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2020; 37 (4): e2020009) ., (Copyright: © 2020 SARCOIDOSIS VASCULITIS AND DIFFUSE LUNG DISEASES.)

Introduction: Although the presence of familial sarcoidosis has been confirmed, clinical and epidemiological data on its characteristics are scattered and sometimes paradoxical. The objective of this review is to assess what is known on the clinical epidemiology of familial sarcoidosis, by combining data from early case reports with recent population based data; aiming to support in clinical decision making and providing information to patients., Method: A systematic review of the literature in PubMed was done and 27 studies with clinical or epidemiological data on familial sarcoidosis, published between 1947 and 2017, were included., Results: The pooled prevalence proportion of familial sarcoidosis, based on twelve study populations, was 9.5% (CI 4.6-16.1), highest in French, African American, Dutch and Irish patients. A heritability of 60-70% was estimated in diverse studies. Relative types and relationships most often reported in familial sarcoidosis were siblings and mother-child relationships. Familial risk is heterogeneous. In African Americans specific environmental factors have been associated with familial sarcoidosis (OR between 1.5 and 3.2). European American and African American subjects had different relative risks for first degree familial relationships (OR of 16.6 vs 3.1) and relative risk differed between relative types. Clinical findings in familial sarcoidosis are still obscure., Conclusions: Prevalence of familial sarcoidosis is high in specific study populations from countries worldwide. The estimated heritability of 60-70%, suggests a shared determinant, and the heterogeneous familial risk, associated with both genetic and environmental factors. Familial relative risks and clinical phenotypes may differ between ethnic groups and relative types, but require further study., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)