Sarcoidosis in the Black Women’s Health Study

Sarcoidosis is a chronic, systemic disorder that causes a wide spectrum of illnesses. The disease is characterized by its pathological hallmark, the non-caseating granuloma, which is formed in response to an unknown antigen or stimulant. In the United States, the disease is more common in African-Americans than in whites with black women bearing the largest burden. Little has been established about causes of the disease.

There have been no large epidemiological studies of sarcoidosis focused exclusively on black women. Our objective is to conduct analyses within the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS) to identify non-genetic and genetic risk factors for sarcoidosis. Risk factors of interest include reproductive and hormonal factors, psychosocial stress, and genetic markers.