THBD and sarcoidosis: Some authors have hypothesized that the chronic inflammatory process, that is associated with sarcoidosis, may predispose to a hypercoagulable state through endothelial cell injury, increased release of cytokines activating the coagulation cascade, upregulation of tissue factor, suppression of fibrinolysis and downregulation of thrombomodulin by tumour necrosis factor-α [32].