Laura Koth, MD, MA

Professor of Clinical Medicine

Laura Koth received a B.S. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in Biochemistry and an M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School in 1994. She completed her Internal Residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and her Pulmonary/Critical Care fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. She joined the UCSF Pulmonary faculty in 2003. She is completed a Master's Degree in Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Data Science in 2021.

Her research activities focus on the immunologic mechanisms of lung inflammation and macrophage activation. Her clinical interest is Granulomatous Interstitial Lung Diseases and she launched the first research program focused on sarcoidosis in 2010.

She currently serves as Principle Investigator for a number of studies and research cohorts.

Education
M.A.S., 12/2021 - Data Science, UCSF
10/2020 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, UCSF
M.D., 06/1994 - Medicine, Harvard University
B.S., 06/1990 - Biochemistry, UCLA
Honors and Awards
  • Robert L. Kroc Chair in Rheumatic and Connective Tissue Diseases IV, UCSF, 2015-2027
Websites
Publications

  1. Shastry V, Leach SM, Elicker BM, Koth LL. Plasma Proteomic Profiling Reveals Distinct Signatures of Chest CT Phenotypes in Sarcoidosis. Research square 2025. PMID: 41510270


  2. Xi NM, Gabby L, Zhao R, Vanarsa K, Qiao M, Zhang D, Zhang J, Mohan C, Judson MA, Koth LL, Ji HL. New proteomic biomarkers identified in plasma extracellular vesicles in sarcoidosis: a case-control matched study. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2025. PMID: 41279897


  3. Shastry V, Leach SM, Elicker BM, Koth LL. Plasma Proteomic Profiling Reveals Distinct Signatures of Chest CT Phenotypes in Sarcoidosis. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2025. PMID: 40667074


  4. Seedahmed MI, Albirair MT, Baugh AD, Gellad WF, Nouraie SM, Gibson KF, Whooley MA, McCulloch CE, Koth LL, Arjomandi M. Trends in All-cause Mortality among U.S. Veterans with Sarcoidosis, 2004-2022. Chest 2024. PMID: 39521376


  5. Peng C, Talreja J, Steinbauer B, Shinki K, Koth LL, Samavati L. Discovery of Two Novel Immunoepitopes and Development of Peptide-based Sarcoidosis Immunoassay. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2024. PMID: 38385694


  6. Benn BS, Lippitt W, Cortopassi I, G K B, Barbosa EM, Drake WP, Herzog E, Gibson K, Chen ES, Koth LL, Fuhrman C, Lynch DA, Kaminski N, Wisniewski SR, Carlson NE, Maier LA. Chest computed tomography provides more information than chest X-ray alone in determining extent of physiologic impairment in pulmonary sarcoidosis. Chest 2024. PMID: 38830401


  7. Seedahmed MI, Albirair MT, Whooley MA, Koth LL, Blanc PD, Arjomandi M. Response. Chest 2024. PMID: 38199743


  8. Casanova NG, Camp SM, Gonzalez-Garay ML, Batai K, Garman L, Montgomery CG, Ellis N, Kittles R, Bime C, Hsu AP, Holland S, Lussier YA, Karnes J, Sweiss N, Maier LA, Koth L, Moller DR, Kaminski N, Garcia JGN. Examination of eQTL Polymorphisms Associated with Increased Risk of Progressive Complicated Sarcoidosis in European and African Descent Subjects. Frontline gastroenterology 2023. PMID: 38390497


  9. Liao SY, Jacobson S, Hamzeh NY, Culver DA, Barkes BQ, Mroz M, Macphail K, Pacheco K, Patel DC, Wasfi YS, Koth LL, Langefeld CD, Leach SM, White E, Montgomery C, Maier LA, Fingerlin TE. Genome-wide association study identifies multiple HLA loci for sarcoidosis susceptibility. Human molecular genetics 2023. PMID: 37399103


  10. Seedahmed MI, Albirair MT, Whooley MA, Koth LL, Blanc PD, Arjomandi M. Screening for Exposure to Beryllium Among US Veterans With a Diagnosis of Sarcoidosis, 2002-2020. Chest 2023. PMID: 37364853


  11. Seedahmed MI, Baugh AD, Albirair MT, Luo Y, Chen J, McCulloch CE, Whooley MA, Koth LL, Arjomandi M. Epidemiology of Sarcoidosis in U.S. Veterans from 2003 to 2019. Annals of the American Thoracic Society 2023. PMID: 36724377


  12. Drake WP, Hsia C, Samavati L, Yu M, Cardenas J, Gianella FG, Boscardin J, Koth LL. Risk Indicators of Sarcoidosis Evolution-Unified Protocol (RISE-UP): protocol for a multi-centre, longitudinal, observational study to identify clinical features that are predictive of sarcoidosis progression. BMJ open 2023. PMID: 37012011


  13. Magallon RE, Harmacek LD, Arger NK, Grewal P, Powers L, Werner BR, Barkes BQ, Li L, MacPhail K, Gillespie M, White EK, Collins SE, Brown T, Cardenas J, Chen ES, Maier LA, Leach SM, Hamzeh NY, Koth LL, O'Connor BP. Standardization of flow cytometry and cell sorting to enable a transcriptomic analysis in a multi-site sarcoidosis study. PloS one 2023. PMID: 36893197


  14. Elahi M, Talreja J, Steinbauer B, Koth LL, Samavati L. Modulatory role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor on cytokines and clinical features of sarcoidosis. Scientific Reports 2022. PMID: 36207373


  15. Seedahmed MI, Mogilnicka I, Zeng S, Luo G, Whooley MA, McCulloch CE, Koth L, Arjomandi M. Performance of a Computational Phenotyping Algorithm for Sarcoidosis Using Diagnostic Codes in Electronic Medical Records: A Pilot Study from Two Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. 2022. PMID: 35081036


  16. Vukmirovic M, Yan X, Gibson KF, Gulati M, Schupp JC, DeIuliis G, Adams TS, Hu B, Mihaljinec A, Woolard TN, Lynn H, Emeagwali N, Herzog EL, Chen ES, Morris A, Leader JK, Zhang Y, Garcia JGN, Maier LA, Collman RG, Drake WP, Becich MJ, Hochheiser H, Wisniewski SR, Benos PV, Moller DR, Prasse A, Koth LL, Kaminski N, GRADS Investigators. Transcriptomics of bronchoalveolar lavage cells identifies new molecular endotypes of sarcoidosis. The European respiratory journal 2021. PMID: 34083402


  17. Koth LL, Harmacek LD, White EK, Arger NK, Powers L, Werner BR, Magallon RE, Grewal P, Barkes BQ, Li L, Gillespie M, Collins SE, Cardenas J, Chen ES, Maier LA, Leach SM, O'Connor BP, Hamzeh NY. Defining CD4 T helper and T regulatory cell endotypes of progressive and remitting pulmonary sarcoidosis (BRITE): protocol for a US-based, multicentre, longitudinal observational bronchoscopy study. 2021. PMID: 34753769


  18. Bradshaw MJ, Pawate S, Koth LL, Cho TA, Gelfand JM. Neurosarcoidosis: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. 2021. PMID: 34607912


  19. Arger NK, O'Connor B, Koth LL. Molecular profiling in sarcoidosis. Current opinion in pulmonary medicine 2020. PMID: 32701678


  20. Arger NK, Machiraju S, Allen IE, Woodruff PG, Koth LL. T-bet Expression in Peripheral Th17.0 Cells Is Associated With Pulmonary Function Changes in Sarcoidosis. Frontiers in immunology 2020. PMID: 32774332


  21. Crouser ED, Maier LA, Wilson KC, Bonham CA, Morgenthau AS, Patterson KC, Abston E, Bernstein RC, Blankstein R, Chen ES, Culver DA, Drake W, Drent M, Gerke AK, Ghobrial M, Govender P, Hamzeh N, James WE, Judson MA, Kellermeyer L, Knight S, Koth LL, Poletti V, Raman SV, Tukey MH, Westney GE, Baughman RP. Diagnosis and Detection of Sarcoidosis. An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2020. PMID: 32293205


  22. Arger NK, Ho ME, Allen IE, Benn BS, Woodruff PG, Koth LL. CXCL9 and CXCL10 are differentially associated with systemic organ involvement and pulmonary disease severity in sarcoidosis. Respiratory medicine 2019. PMID: 31783271


  23. Rosenthal DG, Parwani P, Murray TO, Petek BJ, Benn BS, De Marco T, Gerstenfeld EP, Janmohamed M, Klein L, Lee BK, Moss JD, Scheinman MM, Hsia HH, Selby V, Koth LL, Pampaloni MH, Zikherman J, Vedantham V. Long-Term Corticosteroid-Sparing Immunosuppression for Cardiac Sarcoidosis. Journal of the American Heart Association 2019. PMID: 31538835


  24. Arger NK, Ho M, Woodruff PG, Koth LL. Serum CXCL11 correlates with pulmonary outcomes and disease burden in sarcoidosis. Respiratory medicine 2019. PMID: 31128616


  25. Gu BH, Choi JC, Shen YH, Song LZ, Scheurer ME, Luong A, Rodriguez A, Woodruff P, Koth L, Corry DB, Kheradmand F, LeMaire SA. Elastin-Specific Autoimmunity in Smokers With Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection is Independent of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Journal of the American Heart Association 2019. PMID: 30957625


  26. Santhosh L, Koth L, Baudendistel TE, Sharpe B, Monash B. Tissue Isn't the Issue. Journal of hospital medicine 2018. PMID: 29694457


  27. Gelfand JM, Gelfand AA, Goadsby PJ, Benn BS, Koth LL. Migraine is common in patients with sarcoidosis. Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache 2018. PMID: 29580067


  28. Benn BS, Lehman Z, Kidd SA, Miaskowski C, Sunwoo BY, Ho M, Sun S, Ramstein J, Gelfand JM, Koth LL. Sleep disturbance and symptom burden in sarcoidosis. Respiratory medicine 2018. PMID: 29628134


  29. Broos CE, Koth LL, van Nimwegen M, In 't Veen JCCM, Paulissen SMJ, van Hamburg JP, Annema JT, Heller-Baan R, Kleinjan A, Hoogsteden HC, Wijsenbeek MS, Hendriks RW, van den Blink B, Kool M. Increased T-helper 17.1 cells in sarcoidosis mediastinal lymph nodes. The European respiratory journal 2018. PMID: 29449421


  30. Gerke AK, Judson MA, Cozier YC, Culver DA, Koth LL. Disease Burden and Variability in Sarcoidosis. Annals of the American Thoracic Society 2017. PMID: 29087725


  31. Gelfand JM, Bradshaw MJ, Stern BJ, Clifford DB, Wang Y, Cho TA, Koth LL, Hauser SL, Dierkhising J, Vu N, Sriram S, Moses H, Bagnato F, Kaufmann JA, Ammah DJ, Yohannes TH, Hamblin MJ, Venna N, Green AJ, Pawate S. Infliximab for the treatment of CNS sarcoidosis: A multi-institutional series. Neurology 2017. PMID: 29030454


  32. Benn BS, Lehman Z, Kidd SA, Ho M, Sun S, Ramstein J, Arger NK, Nguyen CP, Su R, Gomez A, Gelfand JM, Koth LL. Clinical and Biological Insights from the University of California San Francisco Prospective and Longitudinal Cohort. Lung 2017. PMID: 28707108


  33. Wang P, Jones KD, Urisman A, Elicker BM, Urbania T, Johannson KA, Assayag D, Lee J, Wolters PJ, Collard HR, Koth LL. Pathologic Findings and Prognosis in a Large Prospective Cohort of Chronic Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis. Chest 2017. PMID: 28223152


  34. Ramstein J, Broos CE, Simpson LJ, Ansel KM, Sun SA, Ho ME, Woodruff PG, Bhakta NR, Christian L, Nguyen CP, Antalek BJ, Benn BS, Hendriks RW, van den Blink B, Kool M, Koth LL. IFN-?-Producing T-Helper 17.1 Cells Are Increased in Sarcoidosis and Are More Prevalent than T-Helper Type 1 Cells. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2016. PMID: 26649486


  35. Johannson KA, Elicker BM, Vittinghoff E, Assayag D, de Boer K, Golden JA, Jones KD, King TE, Koth LL, Lee JS, Ley B, Wolters PJ, Collard HR. A diagnostic model for chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Volume 71 of Issue 10. Thorax 2016. PMID: 27245779


  36. Moller DR, Koth LL, Maier LA, Morris A, Drake W, Rossman M, Leader JK, Collman RG, Hamzeh N, Sweiss NJ, Zhang Y, O'Neal S, Senior RM, Becich M, Hochheiser HS, Kaminski N, Wisniewski SR, Gibson KF. Rationale and Design of the Genomic Research in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and Sarcoidosis (GRADS) Study. Sarcoidosis Protocol. Annals of the American Thoracic Society 2015. PMID: 26193069


  37. Assayag D, Kim EJ, Elicker BM, Jones KD, Golden JA, King TE, Koth LL, Shum AK, Wolters PJ, Collard HR, Lee JS. Survival in interstitial pneumonia with features of autoimmune disease: a comparison of proposed criteria. Volume 109 of Issue 10. Respiratory medicine 2015. PMID: 26303338


  38. Assayag D, Vittinghoff E, Ryerson CJ, Cocconcelli E, Tonelli R, Hu X, Elicker BM, Golden JA, Jones KD, King TE, Koth LL, Lee JS, Ley B, Shum AK, Wolters PJ, Ryu JH, Collard HR. The effect of bronchodilators on forced vital capacity measurement in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Volume 109 of Issue 8. Respiratory medicine 2015. PMID: 26140806


  39. Kern RM, Singer JP, Koth L, Mooney J, Golden J, Hays S, Greenland J, Wolters P, Ghio E, Jones KD, Leard L, Kukreja J, Blanc PD. Lung transplantation for hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Volume 147 of Issue 6. Chest 2015. PMID: 25412059


  40. Su R, Li MM, Bhakta NR, Solberg OD, Darnell EP, Ramstein J, Garudadri S, Ho M, Woodruff PG, Koth LL. Longitudinal analysis of sarcoidosis blood transcriptomic signatures and disease outcomes. The European respiratory journal 2014. PMID: 25142485


  41. Judson MA, Costabel U, Drent M, Wells A, Maier L, Koth L, Shigemitsu H, Culver DA, Gelfand J, Valeyre D, Sweiss N, Crouser E, Morgenthau AS, Lower EE, Azuma A, Ishihara M, Morimoto S, Tetsuo Yamaguchi T, Shijubo N, Grutters JC, Rosenbach M, Li HP, Rottoli P, Inoue Y, Prasse A, Baughman RP, Organ Assessment Instrument Investigators TW. The WASOG Sarcoidosis Organ Assessment Instrument: An update of a previous clinical tool. Sarcoidosis, vasculitis, and diffuse lung diseases : official journal of WASOG 2014. PMID: 24751450


  42. Ryerson CJ, Vittinghoff E, Ley B, Lee JS, Mooney JJ, Jones KD, Elicker BM, Wolters PJ, Koth LL, King TE, Collard HR. Predicting survival across chronic interstitial lung disease: the ILD-GAP model. Volume 145 of Issue 4. Chest 2014. PMID: 24114524


  43. Mooney JJ, Koth LL. Surgical lung biopsy over bronchoalveolar lavage in chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2014. PMID: 24484347


  44. Su R, Nguyen ML, Agarwal MR, Kirby C, Nguyen CP, Ramstein J, Darnell EP, Gomez AD, Ho M, Woodruff PG, Koth LL. Interferon-inducible chemokines reflect severity and progression in sarcoidosis. Respiratory research 2013. PMID: 24199653


  45. Mooney JJ, Elicker BM, Urbania TH, Agarwal MR, Ryerson CJ, Nguyen MLT, Woodruff PG, Jones KD, Collard HR, King TE, Koth LL. Radiographic fibrosis score predicts survival in hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Volume 144 of Issue 2. Chest 2013. PMID: 23392130


  46. Snyder-Cappione JE, Nixon DF, Chi JC, Nguyen ML, Kirby CK, Milush JM, Koth LL. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell exhaustion in sarcoidosis. European journal of immunology 2013. PMID: 23661497


  47. Ryerson CJ, Urbania TH, Richeldi L, Mooney JJ, Lee JS, Jones KD, Elicker BM, Koth LL, King TE, Wolters PJ, Collard HR. Prevalence and prognosis of unclassifiable interstitial lung disease. Volume 42 of Issue 3. The European respiratory journal 2012. PMID: 23222877


  48. Richeldi L, Ryerson CJ, Lee JS, Wolters PJ, Koth LL, Ley B, Elicker BM, Jones KD, King TE, Ryu JH, Collard HR. Relative versus absolute change in forced vital capacity in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Volume 67 of Issue 5. Thorax 2012. PMID: 22426899


  49. Koth LL, Solberg OD, Peng JC, Bhakta NR, Nguyen CP, Woodruff PG. Sarcoidosis blood transcriptome reflects lung inflammation and overlaps with tuberculosis. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2011. PMID: 21852540


  50. Snyder-Cappione JE, Tincati C, Eccles-James IG, Cappione AJ, Ndhlovu LC, Koth LL, Nixon DF. A comprehensive ex vivo functional analysis of human NKT cells reveals production of MIP1-a and MIP1-ß, a lack of IL-17, and a Th1-bias in males. PloS one 2010. PMID: 21082024


  51. Koth LL, Cambier CJ, Ellwanger A, Solon M, Hou L, Lanier LL, Abram CL, Hamerman JA, Woodruff PG. DAP12 is required for macrophage recruitment to the lung in response to cigarette smoke and chemotaxis toward CCL2. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 2010. PMID: 20421649


  52. Kinder BW, Shariat C, Collard HR, Koth LL, Wolters PJ, Golden JA, Panos RJ, King TE. Undifferentiated connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease: changes in lung function. Volume 188 of Issue 2. Lung 2010. PMID: 20069430


  53. Woodruff PG, Modrek B, Choy DF, Jia G, Abbas AR, Ellwanger A, Koth LL, Arron JR, Fahy JV. T-helper type 2-driven inflammation defines major subphenotypes of asthma. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2009. PMID: 19483109


  54. Woodruff PG, Ellwanger A, Solon M, Cambier CJ, Pinkerton KE, Koth LL. Alveolar macrophage recruitment and activation by chronic second hand smoke exposure in mice. COPD 2009. PMID: 19378221


  55. Koth LL, Alex B, Hawgood S, Nead MA, Sheppard D, Erle DJ, Morris DG. Integrin beta6 mediates phospholipid and collectin homeostasis by activation of latent TGF-beta1. Volume 37 of Issue 6. American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology 2007. PMID: 17641300


  56. Kinder BW, Collard HR, Koth L, Daikh DI, Wolters PJ, Elicker B, Jones KD, King TE. Idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia: lung manifestation of undifferentiated connective tissue disease? Volume 176 of Issue 7. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2007. PMID: 17556720


  57. Woodruff PG, Koth LL, Yang YH, Rodriguez MW, Favoreto S, Dolganov GM, Paquet AC, Erle DJ. A distinctive alveolar macrophage activation state induced by cigarette smoking. Volume 172 of Issue 11. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2005. PMID: 16166618


  58. Marras TK, Wallace RJ, Koth LL, Stulbarg MS, Cowl CT, Daley CL. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis reaction to Mycobacterium avium in household water. Chest 2005. PMID: 15706013


  59. Koth LL, Rodriguez MW, Bernstein XL, Chan S, Huang X, Charo IF, Rollins BJ, Erle DJ. Aspergillus antigen induces robust Th2 cytokine production, inflammation, airway hyperreactivity and fibrosis in the absence of MCP-1 or CCR2. Volume 5. Respiratory research 2004. PMID: 15377395


  60. Barczak A, Rodriguez MW, Hanspers K, Koth LL, Tai YC, Bolstad BM, Speed TP, Erle DJ. Spotted long oligonucleotide arrays for human gene expression analysis. Volume 13 of Issue 7. Genome research 2003. PMID: 12805270


  61. Gotway MB, Golden JA, Warnock M, Koth LL, Webb R, Reddy GP, Balmes JR. Hard metal interstitial lung disease: high-resolution computed tomography appearance. Journal of thoracic imaging 2002. PMID: 12362071


  62. Kuperman DA, Huang X, Koth LL, Chang GH, Dolganov GM, Zhu Z, Elias JA, Sheppard D, Erle DJ. Direct effects of interleukin-13 on epithelial cells cause airway hyperreactivity and mucus overproduction in asthma. Volume 8 of Issue 8. Nature medicine 2002. PMID: 12091879


  63. Erle DJ, Koth L, Abramson O, Rodriguez MW, Barczak A. Use of spotted oligonucleotide arrays for large-scale analysis of mammalian gene expression. Volume 121 of Issue 3 Suppl. Chest 2002. PMID: 11893700


  64. Lee JH, Kaminski N, Dolganov G, Grunig G, Koth L, Solomon C, Erle DJ, Sheppard D. Interleukin-13 induces dramatically different transcriptional programs in three human airway cell types. Volume 25 of Issue 4. American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology 2001. PMID: 11694453