A previous study showed that the proportion of M1 macrophages (defined as CD40 cell surface expression) in the pulmonary lumen of patients with sarcoidosis is significantly increased, while the proportion of M2 macrophages (defined as CD163 cell surface expression) tends to increase in nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), IPF, and hypersensitivity pneumonia (HP) (72). This evidence concerns the gene CD163 and sarcoidosis.