difference between feature article and essay

• Key Differences

Know the Differences & Comparisons

Difference Between Article and Essay

An article is nothing but a piece of writing commonly found in newspapers or websites which contain fact-based information on a specific topic. It is published with the aim of making the reader aware of something and keeping them up to date.

An essay is a literary work, which often discusses ideas, experiences and concepts in a clear and coherent way. It reflects the author’s personal view, knowledge and research on a specific topic.

Content: Article Vs Essay

Comparison chart.

Definition of Article

An ‘article’ can be described as any form of written information which is produced either in a printed or electronic form, in newspaper, magazine, journal or website. It aims at spreading news, results of surveys, academic analysis or debates.

An article targets a large group of people, in order to fascinate the readers and engage them. Hence, it should be such that to retain the interest of the readers.

It discusses stories, reports and describes news, present balanced argument, express opinion, provides facts, offers advice, compares and contrast etc. in a formal or informal manner, depending upon the type of audience.

For writing an article one needs to perform a thorough research on the matter, so as to provide original and authentic information to the readers.

Components of Article

• Title : An article contains a noticeable title which should be intriguing and should not be very long and descriptive. However, it should be such that which suggests the theme or issue of the information provided.
• Introduction : The introduction part must clearly define the topic, by giving a brief overview of the situation or event.
• Body : An introduction is followed by the main body which presents the complete information or news, in an elaborative way, to let the reader know about the exact situation.
• Conclusion : The article ends with a conclusion, which sums up the entire topic with a recommendation or comment.

Definition of Essay

An essay is just a formal and comprehensive piece of literature, in which a particular topic is discussed thoroughly. It usually highlights the writer’s outlook, knowledge and experiences on that particular topic. It is a short literary work, which elucidates, argues and analyzes a specific topic.

The word essay is originated from the Latin term ‘exagium’ which means ‘presentation of a case’. Hence, writing an essay means to state the reasons or causes of something, or why something should be done or should be the case, which validates a particular viewpoint, analysis, experience, stories, facts or interpretation.

An essay is written with the intent to convince or inform the reader about something. Further, for writing an essay one needs to have good knowledge of the subject to explain the concept, thoroughly. If not so, the writer will end up repeating the same points again and again.

Components of the Essay

• Title : It should be a succinct statement of the proposition.
• Introduction : The introduction section of the essay, should be so interesting which instantly grabs the attention of the reader and makes them read the essay further. Hence, one can start with a quote to make it more thought-provoking.
• Body : In the main body of the essay, evidence or reasons in support of the writer’s ideas or arguments are provided. One should make sure that there is a sync in the paragraphs of the main body, as well as they,  should maintain a logical flow.
• Conclusion : In this part, the writer wraps up all the points in a summarized and simplified manner.

Key Differences Between Article and Essay

Upcoming points will discuss the difference between article and essay:

• An article refers to a written work, published in newspapers, journals, website, magazines etc, containing news or information, in a specific format. On the other hand, an essay is a continuous piece of writing, written with the aim of convincing the reader with the argument or merely informing the reader about the fact.
• An article is objective in the sense that it is based on facts and evidence, and simply describes the topic or narrate the event. As against, an essay is subjective, because it is based on fact or research-based opinion or outlook of a person on a specific topic. It analyses, argues and criticizes the topic.
• The tone used in an article is conversational, so as to make the article easy to understand and also keeping the interest of the reader intact. On the contrary, an essay uses educational and analytical tone.
• An article may contain headings, which makes it attractive and readable. In contrast, an essay does not have any headings, sections or bullet points, however, it is a coherent and organized form of writing.
• An article is always written with a definite objective, which is to inform or make the readers aware of something. Further, it is written to cater to a specific niche of audience. Conversely, an essay is written in response to a particular assertion or question. Moreover, it is not written with a specific group of readers in mind.
• An article is often supported by photographs, charts, statistics, graphs and tables. As opposed, an essay is not supported by any photographs, charts, or graphs.
• Citations and references are a must in case of an essay, whereas there is no such requirement in case of an article.

By and large, an article is meant to inform the reader about something, through news, featured stories, product descriptions, reports, etc. On the flip side, an essay offers an analysis of a particular topic, while reflecting a detailed account of a person’s view on it.

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Anna H. Smith says

November 15, 2020 at 6:21 pm

Great! Thank you for explaining the difference between an article and an academic essay so eloquently. Your information is so detailed and very helpful. it’s very educative, Thanks for sharing.

Sunita Singh says

December 12, 2020 at 7:11 am

Thank you! That’s quite helpful.

Saba Zia says

March 8, 2021 at 12:33 am

Great job!! Thank u for sharing this explanation and detailed difference between essay and article. It is really helpful.

Khushi Chaudhary says

February 7, 2021 at 2:38 pm

Thank you so much! It is really very easy to understand & helpful for my test.

Dury Frizza says

July 25, 2022 at 8:18 pm

Thanks a lot for sharing such a clear and easily understood explanation!!!!.

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The Difference Between an Article and an Essay

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In composition studies , an article is a short work of nonfiction that typically appears in a magazine or newspaper or on a website. Unlike essays , which often highlight the subjective impressions of the author (or narrator ), articles are commonly written from an objective point of view . Articles include news items, feature stories, reports , profiles , instructions, product descriptions, and other informative pieces of writing.

What Sets Articles Apart From Essays

Though both articles and essays are types of nonfiction writing, they differ in many ways. Here are some features and qualities of articles that differentiate them from essays.

Subject and Theme in Articles

"A useful exercise is to look at some good articles and name the broader subject and the particular aspect each treats. You will find that the subject always deals with a partial aspect examined from some viewpoint; it is never a crammed condensation of the whole.

"...Observe that there are two essential elements of an article: subject and theme . The subject is what the article is about: the issue, event, or person it deals with. (Again, an article must cover only an aspect of a whole.) The theme is what the author wants to say about the subject—what he brings to the subject." (Ayn Rand, The Art of Nonfiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers , ed. by Robert Mayhew. Plume, 2001)

"An article is not everything that's true. It's every important thing that's true." (Gary Provost, Beyond Style: Mastering the Finer Points of Writing . Writer's Digest Books, 1988)

Article Structure

"There are five ways to structure your article . They are:

- The inverted pyramid - The double helix - The chronological double-helix - The chronological report - The storytelling model

Think about how you read a newspaper: you scan the captions and then read the first paragraph or two to get the gist of the article and then read further if you want to know more of the details. That's the inverted pyramid style of writing used by journalists, in which what's important comes first. The double-helix also presents facts in order of importance but it alternates between two separate sets of information. For example, suppose you are writing an article about the two national political conventions. You'll first present Fact 1 about the Democratic convention, then Fact 2 about the Republicans, then Fact 2 about the Democrats, Fact 2 about the Republicans, and so on. The chronological double-helix begins like the double helix but once the important facts from each set of information have been presented, it then goes off to relay the events in chronological order...

"The chronological report is the most straightforward structure to follow since it is written in the order in which the events occurred. The final structure is the storytelling model, which utilizes some of the techniques of fiction writing, so you would want to bring the reader into the story right away even if it means beginning in the middle or even near the end and then filling in the facts as the story unfolds." (Richard D. Bank, The Everything Guide to Writing Nonfiction . Adams Media, 2010)

Opening Sentence of an Article

"The most important sentence in any article is the first one. If it doesn't induce the reader to proceed to the second sentence, your article is dead. And if the second sentence doesn't induce him to continue to the third sentence, it's equally dead. Of such a progression of sentences, each tugging the reader forward until he is hooked, a writer constructs that fateful unit, the ' lead .'" (William Zinsser, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction , 7th ed. HarperCollins, 2006)

Articles and Media

"More and more, article content written for printed media is also appearing on digital devices (often as an edited version of a longer article) for readers who have short attention spans due to time constraints or their device's small screen. As a result, digital publishers are seeking audio versions of content that is significantly condensed and written in conversational style. Often, content writers must now submit their articles with the understanding they will appear in several media formats." (Roger W. Nielsen, Writing Content: Mastering Magazine and Online Writing . R.W. Nielsen, 2009)

Writer's Voice in Articles and Essays

"Given the confusion of genre minglings and overlaps, what finally distinguishes an essay from an article may just be the author's gumption, the extent to which personal voice , vision, and style are the prime movers and shapers, even though the authorial 'I' may be only a remote energy, nowhere visible but everywhere present. ('We commonly do not remember,' Thoreau wrote in the opening paragraphs of Walden , 'that it is, after all, always the first person that is speaking.')" (Justin Kaplan, quoted by Robert Atwan in The Best American Essays, College Edition , 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 1998)

• Definition and Examples of Formal Essays
• What Is a Critique in Composition?
• The Essay: History and Definition
• Cardinal Number
• What Are the Different Types and Characteristics of Essays?
• Francis Bacon on Youth and Age
• Principal vs. Principle: Commonly Confused Words
• Articles in Grammar: From "A" to "The" With "An" and "Some" Between
• Writing About Literature: Ten Sample Topics for Comparison & Contrast Essays
• What Is Tone In Writing?
• Secondary Sources in Research
• Further vs. Farther: How to Tell the Difference
• Afterward or Afterword: How to Choose the Right Word
• The Notion of Number in English Grammar
• Using Dependant vs. Dependent
• The Value of Analogies in Writing and Speech

Article vs. Feature

What's the difference.

Articles and features are both types of written content that provide information or entertainment to readers. However, there are some key differences between the two. Articles are typically more objective and straightforward, presenting facts and information in a clear and concise manner. Features, on the other hand, are often more subjective and in-depth, offering a more personal perspective or analysis on a particular topic. Features may also include more storytelling elements or creative writing techniques to engage readers on a deeper level. Overall, while articles focus on delivering information, features aim to provide a more immersive and engaging reading experience.

Further Detail

Introduction.

When it comes to writing for publications, two common formats are articles and features. While both serve the purpose of informing and engaging readers, there are distinct differences between the two. In this article, we will explore the attributes of articles and features, highlighting their unique characteristics and how they differ in terms of content, structure, and purpose.

Articles typically focus on delivering factual information in a straightforward manner. They are often used to report news, provide analysis, or present research findings. Articles are expected to be objective and unbiased, presenting information in a clear and concise way. On the other hand, features are more subjective and often include personal opinions, anecdotes, and storytelling elements. Features are meant to entertain and engage readers, offering a more in-depth look at a topic or issue.

Tone and Style

Articles are written in a formal tone and follow a structured format, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The language used in articles is typically straightforward and to the point, focusing on delivering information efficiently. Features, on the other hand, allow for a more creative and expressive writing style. Writers can use descriptive language, humor, and narrative techniques to engage readers and create a more immersive reading experience.

Articles are usually shorter in length compared to features. They are designed to convey information quickly and efficiently, often ranging from 300 to 1000 words. Features, on the other hand, can be longer and more detailed, allowing for a deeper exploration of a topic. Features can range from 1000 words to several thousand words, depending on the publication and the complexity of the subject matter.

Articles typically follow a traditional structure, with a headline, byline, lead paragraph, and body paragraphs that present information in a logical sequence. Articles may also include subheadings, bullet points, and quotes to break up the text and make it easier to read. Features, on the other hand, have more flexibility in terms of structure. They may include multiple sections, sidebars, and multimedia elements to enhance the reader's experience.

The primary purpose of articles is to inform and educate readers on a specific topic or issue. Articles aim to provide readers with the facts and analysis they need to understand a subject. Features, on the other hand, are designed to entertain and engage readers on a more emotional level. Features may explore human interest stories, profiles of individuals, or in-depth analysis of cultural trends.

In conclusion, while articles and features both serve the purpose of informing and engaging readers, they differ in terms of content, tone, length, structure, and purpose. Articles are more focused on delivering factual information in a straightforward manner, while features allow for a more creative and expressive writing style. Understanding the attributes of articles and features can help writers choose the appropriate format for their content and effectively communicate with their target audience.

Comparisons may contain inaccurate information about people, places, or facts. Please report any issues.

Difference between Article and Essay

An article and an essay are both forms of written communication, but they serve different purposes and follow distinct structures.

What is an Article?

An article is a piece of writing intended for a broad audience, published in newspapers, magazines, journals, or online platforms. It provides information, discusses a topic, or offers opinions, and is typically structured to engage and inform readers.

What is an Essay?

An essay is a piece of writing that presents an argument or a perspective on a particular topic. It is usually more formal and structured compared to articles and is often used in academic settings. Essays allow the writer to explore ideas, analyze concepts, and present their own interpretations.

Types of Articles:

News Articles: Provide factual information about recent events.

Feature Articles: Offer in-depth analysis or narratives on topics of interest.

Opinion Articles: Present the author’s viewpoints on various issues.

How-To Articles: Give step-by-step instructions on performing tasks or activities.

Review Articles: Critique books, movies, products, or services.

Types of Essays:

Expository Essays: Explain or describe a topic clearly and logically.

Argumentative Essays: Present a well-reasoned argument on a controversial issue, supported by evidence.

Descriptive Essays: Paint a picture of a person, place, object, or event using detailed observations and sensory details.

Narrative Essays: Tell a story or recount an event, often using personal experiences.

Analytical Essays: Break down a concept, text, or piece of art to examine its components and their relationships.

Both articles and essays are valuable forms of communication , but they differ significantly in purpose, structure, audience, and style. Understanding these differences can help in choosing the appropriate format for a specific writing task.

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A Reporter Explains His Approach to Writing News and Features

Brooks Barnes, a correspondent who covers Hollywood for The Times, explains how his writing process changes depending on the type of article he is working on.

By Sarah Bahr

Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.

Brooks Barnes’s head is constantly on a swivel.

As a domestic correspondent covering Hollywood’s leading celebrities, companies and executives for The New York Times, he writes both daily news articles about media companies and long-lead features about subjects such as Walt Disney World’s animatronic robot crew and the Polo Lounge , a Hollywood hot spot that attracts the who’s who of the film industry.

Those two types of articles — news and features — are the yin and yang of journalism. As the name suggests, news articles provide readers with new information about important events, often as they unfold. They can cover nearly any topic, are generally 500 to 1,000 words long and are packed with the need-to-know facts of a given situation. Features, which need not be tied to a specific event, dive deep into a particular topic or person, are usually longer than news articles and often offer more comprehensive context about their subjects.

Every day, The Times publishes both. While many journalists specialize in writing news or feature articles, Mr. Barnes flips between the two.

“I have eight to 10 features on the assembly line at any given time,” Mr. Barnes said, adding that he often has to drop what he’s working on to chase the news and that he focuses on writing features when the news is slow. Generally, he can finish a news article in a couple of hours or less; a major feature can take upward of six months.

For Mr. Barnes, the main difference between a news article and a feature isn’t the word count, the number of interviews involved or how long he spends drafting it: “The writing process changes,” he says.

Interviewing Sources

A news article is all about gathering the essential information and publishing quickly.

He begins working on a news article by making calls to sources, often contacts he has built up over more than 20 years of reporting. He says he jots down his most important questions before he calls a source, even if he’s on a deadline and knows the conversation will only last a few minutes.

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Home » Education » Difference Between Article and Essay

Difference Between Article and Essay

Main difference – article vs essay.

Articles and essays are two forms of academic writing. Though there are certain similarities between them, there are also distinct differences between them. These differences are based on the format, purpose and content. Before looking at the difference between article and essay, let us first look at the definitions of these two words. An essay is a piece of writing that describes, analyzes and evaluates a particular topic whereas an article is a piece of writing that is included with others in a newspaper or other publications. The main difference between article and essay is that an article is written to inform the readers about some concept whereas an essay is usually written in response to a question or proposition .

What is an Article

An article is a piece of writing that is included with others in a newspaper, magazine or other publication . It is a written composition that is nonfiction and prose. Articles can be found in magazines, encyclopedias, websites, newspapers or other publications; the content and the structure of an article may depend on the source. For example, an article can be an editorial, review, feature article, scholarly articles, etc.

What is an Essay

An essay is a piece of writing that describes, analyzes and evaluates a certain topic or an issue . It is a brief, concise form of writing that contains an introduction, a body that is comprised of few support paragraphs, and a conclusion. An essay may inform the reader, maintain an argument, analyse an issue or elaborate on a concept. An essay is a combination of statistics, facts and writer’s opinions and views.

Article is a piece of writing that is  included with others in a newspaper, magazine or other publication.

Essay is a short piece of writing on a particular subject.

Article is written to inform the readers about some concept.

Essay is generally written as a response to a question or proposition.

Articles follow heading and subheadings format.

Essays are not written under headings and subheadings.

Articles do not require citations or references.

Essays require citations and references.

Visual Effects

Articles are often accompanied by photographs, charts and graphs.

Essays do not require photographs.

Articles are objective as they merely describe a topic.

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Article vs. Essay — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Article and Essay

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• Difference Between Article And Essay

Difference between Article and Essay

Are an article and an essay the same? Is there something that makes one different from the other? Check out this article to find out.

What is an Article?

An article is a report or content published in a newspaper, magazine, journal or website, either in printed or electronic form. When it comes to articles, a sizable readership is considered. It might be supported by studies, research, data, and other necessary elements. Articles may be slightly brief or lengthy, with a maximum count of 1500 words. It educates the readers on various ideas/concepts and is prepared with a clear aim in mind.

Articles, which can be found in newspapers, journals, encyclopaedias, and now, most commonly, online, inform and keep readers informed about many topics.

What is an Essay?

An essay is a formal, in-depth work of literature that analyses and discusses a specific problem or subject. It refers to a brief piece of content on a specific topic. Students are frequently required to write essays in response to questions or propositions in their academic coursework. It doesn’t target any particular readers.

Through essays, the author or narrator offers unique ideas or opinions on a given subject or question while maintaining an analytical and formal tone.

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Guilford College Writing Manual

Essay vs. article.

• Practical Considerations
• Write to Learn
• Defining and Freeing the Self
• Joining a Community of Seekers
• Final Thoughts
• A Proposed Categorization of the Academic Writer's Responsibilities
• Required Writing Courses
• Placement in First-Year Writing Courses
• Writing Courses Beyond First-Year English
• Informal vs. Formal Writing
• Two Models of Papers
• What is the Real Difference?
• Specific Expectations of Papers
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• The A Paper
• The B Paper
• The C Paper
• The D Paper
• The F Paper
• What makes college reading different?
• Levels of Reading
• An Overview
• Sample Schedule
• Suggestions for Prewriting
• Modes of Invention
• Four Categories of Invention
• Intuition Heuristics
• The Five Perspectives
• Loosening Heuristics
• Closing Observations
• Introduction
• Preliminary Tasks
• The Search Strategy
• Finding Materials
• Finding Appropriate Websites
• Selected Websites
• Documenting Your Sources
• Open Form vs. Fixed Form
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• Body Paragraphs
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• Hemingway vs. Faulkner
• Three Syntactic Devices Worth Using
• Subject-Verb-Object
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• Some College-Level Problems
• A Word on Typos
• An Important General Rap
• Revising Checklist
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• Revising to Make Language More Inclusive
• Revising to Brighten
• What It Is and Why We Do It
• Sample Edit Guide

We can divide the "transactional" writing you will do at Guilford into two main categories: essay style and article style. They include all of the types of writing on the above list.

You can regard these two types as being the yin and yang of formal writing. One, the essay, is primarily right-brain, emphasizing traits such as the holistic, the intuitive, the metaphorical. The article, on the other hand, tends to be left-brain--i.e., linear, mathematical, logical.

I would argue that the best writing is that which fuses both types of writing and is thus "whole-brain." But for the time being it is worth at looking at the two separately, for the two styles do differ and readers will have different expectations depending on whether a writing situation calls primarily for one or the other.

The essay style:

exploratory primarily concerned with ideas non-systematic author's persona is evident stylistically self-conscious begins with a partially formed idea involves heavy revision, especially for organization and coherence

This category includes reflective or narrative personal essays, for example, or essays in which you are being speculative, or formal responses to reading in which you are assessing the personal impact of a book or art work.

• << Previous: Informal vs. Formal Writing
• Next: Two Models of Papers >>
• Last Updated: Dec 8, 2015 1:59 AM
• URL: https://library.guilford.edu/writingmanual

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4 Types of Features

From profiles to travel stories, there is feature style for everyone

“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.” Isaac Asimov

Truth be told, no one writes a plain, old feature article, since “feature” is an umbrella term that encompasses a broad range of article types, from profiles to how-tos and beyond.

The goal here is not just to know these types exist but rather to use them to shape your material into a format that best serves your reader and the publication for which you are writing. Pitching a story that takes a particular format or angle also helps editors see the focus and appeal of your idea more clearly, which can help you get hired.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common feature article types.

A profile is a mini-biography on a single entity — person, place, event, thing — but it revolves around a nut graph that includes something newsworthy happening now. That “hook,” as we call the news focus, must be evident throughout the story.

A profile on Jennifer Lawrence might be interesting, but it is most likely to be published about the time she has a new movie coming out or she wins an award.

This fulfills the readers’ desire to know why they are reading about someone at a given time or in a given magazine.

The best profiles examine characters and document struggles and dreams. It’s important that you show a complete picture of who or what is being profiled — warts and all — especially since the controversy is often what keeps people reading. Controversy, however, is not the only compelling aspect of profiles. They are, most importantly, personal and insightful, beyond the pedantic list of accomplishments you can get from a bio sheet or a PR campaign.

Profiles aim to:

• Reveal feelings
• Expose attitudes
• Capture habits and mannerisms.
• Entertain and inform.

Accomplishing those goals is what makes profiles challenging to write, but also makes them among the most compelling and fulfilling stories to create.

Delving deeply into your subject’s interests, career, education and family can bring out amazing anecdotes, as can reporting in an immersive style.

The goal is to watch your subject closely and document his or her habits, mannerisms, vocal tones, dress, interactions and word choice. Describing these elements for readers can contribute to a fuller and more accurate presentation of the interview subject.

Consider this opening paragraph from one of my favorite profiles, Jeff Perlman’s look at one-time baseball bad boy John Rocker of the Atlanta Braves:

A MINIVAN is rolling slowly down Atlanta’s Route 400, and John Rocker, driving directly behind it in his blue Chevy Tahoe, is pissed. “Stupid bitch! Learn to f—ing drive!” he yells. Rocker honks his horn. Once. Twice. He swerves a lane to the left. There is a toll booth with a tariff of 50 cents. Rocker tosses in two quarters. The gate doesn’t rise. He tosses in another quarter. The gate still doesn’t rise. From behind, a horn blasts. “F— you!” Rocker yells, flashing his left middle finger out the window. Finally, after Rocker has thrown in two dimes and a nickel, the gate rises. Rocker brings up a thick wad of phlegm. Puuuh! He spits at the machine. “Hate this damn toll.”

Perlman does not have to tell us anything about Rocker; he has shown us and lets us make our own determinations as to the person we are getting to know through this article.

Research is key to any piece, but profiles provide the ultimate test of your interviewing skills. How well can you coax complete strangers into sharing details of their private lives? Your job is to get subjects to open up and share their true personalities, memories, experiences, opinions, feelings and reflections.

This comes from a true conversational style and a willingness to probe as deep as you need to get the material you need.

Interview your subject and as many people as you need to get clear perspectives of your profile subject.

Not everyone will make your article, but you can get background information and anecdotes that could be crucial to understanding your subject or asking key questions. (Now might be a good time to download “Always Get the Name of the Dog.”)

Take the time to watch your subject at work or play so you can really get to know them in a three-dimensional way.

The fewer sources and the less time you spend with your subject the less accurate or complex your profile will be.

The framework of a profile follows these guidelines:

Anecdotal lede

An engaging, revealing a little story to lure us into your article.

Nut graph/Theme

A paragraph that shows the reader what exactly this story is about and why does this entity matter now?

Observe our subject in action now using dialogue details and descriptions.

A recap of our subject’s past activities using facts, quotes and anecdotes as they relate to the theme.

Where Are We Now?

What is our subject doing now, as it relates to the theme?

What Lies Ahead?

Plans, dreams, goals and barriers to overcome.

Closing Quote

Bring the article home in a way that makes the reader feel the story is complete like they can sigh at the end of a good tale.

A Q&A article is just what it sounds like — an article structured in questions and answers.

Freelancers and editors both like them for several reasons:

• They’re easy to write.
• They’re easy to read.
• They can be used on a variety of subjects.

The catch is writers/interviewers must take even greater care with the questions asked and ensuring the quality of the answers received because they will provide both the skeleton and the meat of your piece.

This may seem obvious, but quality questions are vital, meaning we avoid closed-ended (yes or no, single-word answer) questions and instead ask questions that will inspire some thought, creativity and explanation or description.

Q&A articles start with an introduction into the subject — often as anecdotal as any other piece, but then transition into the fly-on-the-wall feeling of watching an interview take place. You are the interviewer.

The subject is the interviewee, and the reader is sitting alongside you both soaking in the experience and your relationship.

That means a Q&A has to stay conversational so it does not feel like a written interrogation.

The interview itself is much like we would use for an article, but you have to be more conscious of the order in which you ask questions, how they transition from one another and the quality of the answer so you are not tempted to move answers around.

You will be amazed at how many words get generated in an actual conversation or interview, so the Q&A is far from over when the interview concludes. Editing and cutting the interview transcript can take far longer than the interview itself.

You cannot change your subject’s words, but you take out redundancies and those verbal lubricants that keep conversations moving — “like,” “you know,” etc., Sentences and phrases can be edited out by using ellipses (…) to show you have removed something.

Grammar is a challenge with a lot of transcripts, and I will leave in that which represents the subject, but I will not let them come across badly by misusing words or phrases.

Instead, let’s take it out or ask them to clarify.

If you do an internet search on “round-up story,” you very often get a collection of information from various places on a central them.

Feature round-ups are written the same way.

These articles are like list blog posts, where you have a variety of suggestions from different sources that advance a common idea:

• 7 secrets to a happy baby
• 10 best vacation spots with a teenager
• 5 tips on how to pick the perfect roommate

You may notice that there is a numeric value on each of these ideas, and that is a key part of the roundup. You are offering a collection of suggestions, provided and supported by sources, on a specific topic.

The article begins, as most features do, with an anecdote that takes us to a theme, but instead of a uniform or chronological body style, we break it up into these sections outlined by each numbered suggestion.

Each section can be constructed like its own mini feature — complete with sources, facts, anecdote and quotes, or just the advice provided by a qualified source (not the author!).

There does not need to be a specific order to how each piece of the article is presented, rather their order is interchangeable.

It is important to have sources with some level of expertise and not merely opinions on the topic. Just because someone went to Club Med with their 5-year-old and had fun does not mean it’s the best vacation spot for kids.

We first need an idea of what makes a good vacation spot and then support with facts how this one fits the criteria.

Readers love to learn how to do new things, and there are few better ways to teach them than through how-to articles.

How-to articles provide a description of how something can be accomplished using information and advice, giving step-by-step directions, supplies and suggestions for success.

Unlike round-ups, these articles must be written sequentially and have to end with some sort of success.

Aim for something that most people don’t know how to do, or something that offers a new way of approaching a familiar task. Most importantly, make sure it is neither too simplistic, nor too complex for their attempt, and include provide definitions and anecdotes that show how things can go well or poorly in attempting this task.

Personal Experience

Most of us have had some experience that we think, “I would love to write about this so other people can learn or enjoy this with me.”

If you have a truly original and teachable moment and can find the right feature to which to pitch it, you may very well have a personal experience story on your hands.

Some guidelines for finding such a story include whether this is an experience readers would:

• Wish to share?
• Learn or benefit from?
• Wish to avoid?
• Help cope with a challenge?

Unlike a first-person lede, which might use your personal anecdote to get us into a broader story, in a personal experience article you are the story, and how we learn from your experience will help us navigate the same waters.

They can be emotional, like the New Yorker piece on women who share their abortion stories , but they can also be about amazing vacations that others might consider — “Bar Mitzvah trip to Israel” anyone? — or how about a man who quits a high-powered job to stay home with his kids?

No matter what your experience, you must be willing to tell your story with passion and objectivity, sharing the good, the bad and the uncomfortable, and making readers part of the experience.

It’s important that the experience is over before you pitch, so the reader can get a clear perspective of what happened and the resolution. Did it work or not?

As the author, you also need time to gain perspective on your issue so you can “report” it as objectively as possible.

Finally, make sure you are chronicling something attainable or achievable. We need to go through it and come out the other side with evidence that will make us smarter and better equipped to handle a similar situation that might come our way.

The Art of Covering Horse Racing

Melissa Hoppert is the racing writer from the New York Times, and despite covering the same events over and over she manages to find a unique story each time.

Belmont Park is called “Big Sandy,” because the track has so much sand on it. I rode the tractor and asked the trackman, “What makes it like that? What it’s like to race on it?”

It was my most-read story that year. You have to think outside the box.

When the horse Justify came along, it was like ”here we go again — another Triple Crown with the same trainer. What can I possibly write about Bob Baffert that has not written before?

We observed and thought outside the box. We didn’t do a Bob Baffert feature. We went to the barn and still talked to him every day, but we looked at things differently.

We focused more on the owners . They were in a partnership and that is a trend of the sport. Rich owners team up to share the risk. That made it more of a trend story. Is this where we are going.

Sometimes I like writing about the horse. American Pharoah was a really fun, quirky horse. My most favorite story was when I went to visit American Pharoah’s sire, Pioneer of the Nile , at the breeding shed. He has a weird breeding style. He needed the mood to be set. It was kind of random, but it helped tell a story of American Pharoah that had not yet been told.

True-Life Drama

Examples of these include:

• The couple on a sight-seeing plane ride that had to land the plane when their pilot died
• Aron Ralston frees himself by sawing off his own arm after getting trapped in the desert.
• Tornado survival stories

It is fitting that the first example I found to show you of true-life dramas came from Readers Digest because these types of stories are the bread and butter of that magazine.

They are the stories that are almost impossible to believe but are true, and they are driven by the characters who make them come to life.

Some “true-life dramas” become even more famous when they are adapted for the screen, like the Slate story of being rescued from Iran , you might know better as the film, “Argo.”

How about Capt. Richard Phillips’ dramatic struggle with Somali pirates, now a film starring Tom Hanks?

Steve Lopes of the Los Angeles Times found a violin-playing homeless man who became the subject of numerous columns and later the movie “The Soloist.”

These stories are, quite simply, dramatic experiences from real people, where they live through moments few of us can imagine.

Many of the feature versions of these stories start as newspaper coverage of the breaking event, and then a desire to go behind-the-scenes and chronicle exactly what happened over a much longer course of time — the lead-up, the culmination and the aftermath.

Being a consumer of news will help you come across these stories, and a desire to conduct really penetrating interviews to get the “real story” will make them come to life.

You might not be thinking about Christmas in May or back-to-school in February, but chances are editors will be scheduling those topics and looking for article ideas.

Seasonal stories are the ones that happen every year and need a fresh angle on an annual basis.

It goes beyond standbys like “Best side dishes for Thanksgiving,” and how to make a good Easter basket, to “ How to do the holidays in a newly divorced family ,” and “Back to school shopping for a home-schooled child.”

The key is that a timely observance is interwoven in the theme, and these stories are planned and often executed months in advance since we all know they are coming.

Seasonal can also relate to anniversaries — Sept. 11, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Titanic sinking — and their marketability can escalate dramatically around an anniversary.

The angle is all about the audience, so think how you can spin one day or a milestone event to toddlers, teens, seniors, your local community, pets, business, food, travel and you may suddenly have 10 stories from one topic.

Remember, though, that your pitch has to come long before the event is even in the mind of most readers — at least six months and sometimes a year.

The perceived glamour division of freelance writing is the travel piece, which most people think comes with an all-expense-paid trip to swanky, exotic locations.

That can be true, but more likely writers make their own plans and accommodations and their pay reflects that a portion of their compensation comes from the good time they had traveling.

The good news is that with the rise of travel blogs and smaller travel publications there are more outlets than ever to pitch your ideas, provided they are original and unique to the audience.

That means, “Traveling to Paris,” probably won’t work, but “ Traveling to Paris on $50 a day ” just might.

That also does not mean that publications are looking for your personal essay on what you did for your summer vacation, or just because you visited Peru and loved it that it’s worthy of a feature article. You have to show the editor and the reader why you have a unique perspective and angle on a traveling experience.

Travel writing means looking for stories on about:

• How to travel
• When to travel
• Advice on traveling

The more specifically you can focus on a population of travelers — seniors, parents, honeymooners, first-time family vacation — the more likely you can come up with an idea that has not been overdone and pitch it to a niche magazine.

In a column on the Writer’s Digest website, Brian Klems writes the need to travel “deeply” as opposed to just widely, and I thought that was such an insightful term. He spelled out the need to really dig deep into whatever area you might cover and take copious, detailed notes, but I would add that you also have to really dig deep into what people want to know about travel and enough to go past the cliché or stereotypes.

The more descriptively you can present experiences, the more compelled readers may be to join you.

To separate yourself from the cacophony of travel voices out there, consider building up expertise in one subject or area. If you are from an interesting area, see how you can pitch stories to bring make outsiders insiders. Are you a big hockey fan? What about traveling to different hockey venues and making a weekend travel story out of what to see and do before and after the game?

The key to success is to become a curious and perceptive traveler from the minute you book a trip. Think about how your experience can be a travel story, as opposed to only looking to pitch stories that could become an experience.

Some other types to consider:

Essay or Opinion

First-person pieces, which usually revolve around an important or timely subject (if they’re to be published in a newspaper or “serious” magazine).

Historical Article

Focus on a single historical aspect of the subject but make a current connection.

Trend Story

Takes the pulse of a population right now, often in technology, fashion, arts and health.

No, we are not talking about trees.

Evergreen stories are ones that do not have an expiration date and can be pitched for creation at any time.

A profile on a new trend or profile-worthy person has to be pitched in relatively short order, or it will not really marketable anymore. But a story on how to build an exercise program around your pet does not really have to be published at a specific time.

Incorporating evergreen ideas into your repertoire of story ideas will open up even more publishing doors.

Writing Fabulous Features Copyright © 2020 by Nicole Kraft is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Difference Between Article and Essay

College writing is divided into two types: articles and essays. Despite a few resemblances, they also have significant distinctions respectively to each other. These disparities are premised on layout, intention, and information. Prior to delving into the distinction between those assignments, we should first examine their meanings. Continue reading to understand all terminology and ideas on how to approach creative writing.

General Definitions

Key rules of an article.

This editorial is a form of reporting that appears alongside other posts in a journal, reviews, or other press. It follows a factual and documentary composing pattern. Media, dictionaries, webpages, advertisements, and other blogs also may contain these writings. The layout and information of this text may differ depending on the origin. An opinion column, evaluation, showcase post, university paperwork, and so on are all examples of articles.

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The Concept of an Essay

This assignment is a type of literature in which you classify, assess, and appraise a specific subject or problem. It is a quick, precise type of communication that includes an opening, a body with a few supporting chapters, and a summary. Here you should give an overview, support an assertion, analyze a problem, or expound on a theory. Understand that this text must be a collection of statistical data, evidence, and the author’s thoughts and viewpoints.

Bottom Line

The Difference between an Essay and an Article

Imagine opening your favorite entertainment magazine or your local newspaper and finding a collection of essays. How long, in that case, would the money you spend on magazines and newspapers be considered part of your entertainment budget?

Articles can be informative and not all of them are entertaining. However, it's more likely to find articles in magazines that offer entertainment for readers than an essay.

The most notable difference between an essay and an article is the tone. Essays traditionally are subjective pieces of formal writing that offers an analysis of a specific topic. In other words, an essay writer studies, researches, and forms a factually-based opinion on the topic in order to inform others about their ideas.

An article is traditionally objective instead of subjective. Writing an article doesn't always require that an opinion to be formed and expressed, and there's no requirement that an analysis be offered about the information being presented.

Scroll through a copy of Cosmopolitan, National Geographic, and today's edition of your local newspaper, and you'll get a sense of how articles can be structured in numerous different ways. Some include headings and subheadings along with accompanying photos to paint a picture for the reader to form their own thoughts and opinions about the subject of an article.

Essays, however, have more strict guidelines on structure depending on which type of essay a writer has chosen. Traditionally, readers will see an introductory paragraph that presents a thesis statement, body paragraphs with topic sentences that relate back to and flesh out the thesis, and a conclusion with the author's take on the information presented.

Entertainment Factor

While narrative essays can tell entertaining stories, it is articles that are most often included in magazines and newspapers to keep their subscribers informed and reading.

It's up to the writer of an article what message they want to convey. Sometimes that message is informative and sometimes it's humorous. For an essay writer, it's all about learning as much as possible about a topic, forming an opinion, and describing how they came to that opinion and why.

You're not likely to find essays in entertainment magazines. A person seeking in-depth information on a subject is going to seek out an essay, while a person looking for an entertaining piece of writing that allows them to draw their own conclusions will be more likely to seek out an article.

Article vs. Essay: What's the Difference?

Key Differences

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Get Your Story Straight: News vs Feature Article

In your role as a public affairs writer, you'll be asked to write in a variety of formats. News articles and features are the most common. Before you start, it's important to know how they are similar and how they differ. Review the key differences between a news article and a feature article.

Because the two purposes are distinctly different, you'll need to be clear on what type of article you're writing before you jump in. Don't mix the structure and flow of one with the other.

Writing a News Article

Think of your news story as an inverted pyramid or a martini glass. Regardless of which outline you follow, your news article always will begin with a direct lead.

A direct lead contains the news peg -- what changed or the reason you wrote this article today -- and usually provides the who, what, when and where of the event. The why and the how can be addressed in the lead, the bridge or the body of the article.

• Who did it? To whom did it happen? Who else was involved?
• What happened, or what event is scheduled to occur?
• When did it happen, or when is it scheduled to occur?
• Where did it happen? Which other places felt the impacts?

The lead tells readers what the story is going to be about and allows them to decide whether to read further. It should start with your most important "W." When writing your lead:

• Figure out the lead emphasis, the most important part of the story.
• Decide where your story is going.
• Set the right tone.
• Make sure the news peg is in the lead, not later in the story.
• Remove cliches or cheesiness from your lead.

Example of a Direct Lead : NORFOLK, Va, -- Four sailors stationed aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise here sustained third-degree burns May 2 when an FA-18 fighter jet engine caught fire.

With the primary facts established, there may be an opportunity for secondary, or "bridge" facts that address the "why." Why did it happen? Why will your reader care? You can use " WAITS " as a helpful acronym to build out this bridge. The bridge should contain at least one of the WAITS elements.

• W: Any of the interrogatives -- probably the why or the how -- not provided or not fully explained in the lead.
• A: Attribution. Give attribution (a source) to any information in the lead, or provide a quote from a prominent person involved in the story.
• I: Identification of the Who in your story. If the impersonal "who" was used in the lead, they need to be identified in the bridge.
• T: Tie-back to a previous, related article.
• S: Secondary facts.

Before you move on to the details of the story, you should include a command message. Quotes are especially valuable in doing this. Use additional space to fill in the details of the story and finish with another command message if available. When it happens, the second quote often comes from a participant rather than a planner, or leader, of an event. News articles (as opposed to features) don't need wrap-ups, so a quote – depending on whether one is available – or a boilerplate statement, e.g., " The mission of Unit X is y, " might or might not be used. Boilerplate refers to phrasing that, once negotiated and agreed upon, does not change.

The third paragraph (or fourth, if it takes that long) and the last paragraph are known as "power positions" because the readers are still tuned in at the top and tune back in at the bottom. Quotes placed in middles of articles (and worse, at bottoms of paragraphs) are easily overlooked, i.e., wasted.

The martini glass outline offers chronological order as a way to present facts in the stem. This format is easy to replicate and understand, whereas "order of importance" drives some writers and readers crazy. The martini glass is particularly well-suited to public affairs writing because public affairs professionals are taught to deliver command messages (generally quotes), and the martini glass tells us not only where to put them but where to look for them.

Writing a Feature Article

Imagine you are writing a feature article, and in the middle of your interview, something newsworthy suddenly happens to the people you are writing about. You can immediately pivot and respond to the event by writing a timely news article. The reverse is not true. You cannot take a news article and turn it into a feature by adding some details and calling it a day. Unlike the news article, the purpose of a feature article, or narrative, is to engage the reader’s imagination and emotions, leading them to accept the truth of the focus statement.

Feature articles follow a looping pattern that looks like a roller coaster.

Unlike the news article, which has a direct lead, a feature article has a delayed lead that prepares the reader for the focus statement (aka nutgraph). The body of the story moves the reader along a timeline. It has its own characteristics, including conflict and resolution, and generous use of anecdotes (demonstrating growth or progress) and description.

• Delayed Lead - The delayed lead is frequently an anecdote pulled from the middle of the timeline. It introduces the reader to the person or people who are the subject of the story. It provides the context that readers need to understand the focus statement and the emotional connection to make them want to continue reading the story, which usually starts at the beginning, on the other side of the focus statement.
• Focus Statement aka Nutgraph - The focus statement is a single sentence that encapsulates the values demonstrated by our subject that the commander would endorse. The focus statement is a declaration of the meaning that the writer hopes the reader will extract from the narrative. Don't skimp on the time you allow yourself to write your focus statement. It's critical.
• Complications - Challenges that force the main character or characters to reassess goals and approaches.
• Decision - A pivot point where the main character of the story chooses a new path.
• Struggle - The main character faces inevitable struggles on this new path.
• Achievements - Resolution of the struggle and an outcome that often but not always involves success.

Example of a Delayed Lead ​:  The last thing Piper remembered was the bullet whizzing toward her, the cracking sound of her own bones and the sickening thud of her body hitting the ground. Even as a child, Piper McClean had dreamed of serving her country. She would pick up a long stick, throw it over her shoulder and march. Her first full sentence was a cadence call. The army was her destiny, a family tradition. As she lay in the hospital bed contemplating her future, it appeared as though her dreams were as shattered as her leg.

Vive Le Difference!

A news article may contain storylines worth exploring, but it cannot be turned readily into a feature. The writer must start from scratch with a premise worthy of a feature, recognizing the differences in purpose and structure. Once you appreciate and respect the difference, you'll be better equipped to write each one for maximum effect.

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Article vs Essay – Difference and Comparison

Table of Contents

What is an Article?

An article is a casual form of writing that is published in a newspaper, website, or magazine. Articles can cover a wide variety of topics, from news and current events to opinion pieces, feature stories, and more. They are written by journalists, writers, or experts in a particular field and are intended to inform, educate, or entertain the reader.

An introduction to the topic and a setting for the remainder of the article are included in an article’s structure. The body of the article contains the main information and argument and is supported by evidence and examples. The conclusion sums up the main points and provides a final perspective on the topic.

Articles can be written in a variety of styles, including news articles, which are straightforward and objective in tone; feature articles, which are more in-depth and may take a more personal or creative approach; and opinion articles, which express the author’s personal views and opinions. Regardless of the style, good articles are well-researched and well-written.

What is an Essay?                                                                             

An essay is a formal form of writing that offers a thesis statement and/or point of view on a certain subject. Essays can be written in various formats, such as narrative, descriptive, argumentative, and expository. An essay’s major objective is to deliver facts in a clear and succinct manner or to persuade the reader. The structure of an essay includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

The introduction provides background information on the topic and sets the stage for the main argument or point of view. The body paragraphs provide evidence and examples to support the argument or point of view presented in the introduction. The conclusion summarizes the main points and leaves the reader with something to think about.

Critical thinking, research, and the capacity to arrange and present material in a clear and succinct way are all necessary for writing essays. A compelling thesis statement that is backed up by examples and facts is crucial. proper grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure are essential to a well-written essay. With practice and dedication, anyone can improve their essay writing skills and achieve success in their academic or professional pursuits.

Difference Between Article and Essay

• An article is a casual writing that is written for a newspaper, magazine, or online publication, whereas an essay is a written composition that presents an argument or a point of view on a specific topic.
• Articles are shorter and more informative than essays, whereas essays can be longer and more analytical.
• Articles are written in a more casual and conversational tone, whereas essays are written in a more formal and academic tone.
• Articles are written to inform or entertain a general audience, whereas essays are written to persuade or argue a specific point of view to a specific audience.
• Articles are researched and written by journalists, whereas essays are written by students or scholars.

Comparison Between Article and Essay

• https://www.jstor.org/stable/488160
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0149206309337489

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• The four main types of essay | Quick guide with examples

The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples

Published on September 4, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.

Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way. At university level, argumentative essays are the most common type. 

In high school and college, you will also often have to write textual analysis essays, which test your skills in close reading and interpretation.

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Table of contents

Argumentative essays, expository essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, textual analysis essays, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about types of essays.

An argumentative essay presents an extended, evidence-based argument. It requires a strong thesis statement —a clearly defined stance on your topic. Your aim is to convince the reader of your thesis using evidence (such as quotations ) and analysis.

Argumentative essays test your ability to research and present your own position on a topic. This is the most common type of essay at college level—most papers you write will involve some kind of argumentation.

The essay is divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion:

• The introduction provides your topic and thesis statement
• The body presents your evidence and arguments
• The conclusion summarizes your argument and emphasizes its importance

The example below is a paragraph from the body of an argumentative essay about the effects of the internet on education. Mouse over it to learn more.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a topic. It doesn’t require an original argument, just a balanced and well-organized view of the topic.

Expository essays test your familiarity with a topic and your ability to organize and convey information. They are commonly assigned at high school or in exam questions at college level.

The introduction of an expository essay states your topic and provides some general background, the body presents the details, and the conclusion summarizes the information presented.

A typical body paragraph from an expository essay about the invention of the printing press is shown below. Mouse over it to learn more.

The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.

A narrative essay is one that tells a story. This is usually a story about a personal experience you had, but it may also be an imaginative exploration of something you have not experienced.

Narrative essays test your ability to build up a narrative in an engaging, well-structured way. They are much more personal and creative than other kinds of academic writing . Writing a personal statement for an application requires the same skills as a narrative essay.

A narrative essay isn’t strictly divided into introduction, body, and conclusion, but it should still begin by setting up the narrative and finish by expressing the point of the story—what you learned from your experience, or why it made an impression on you.

Mouse over the example below, a short narrative essay responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” to explore its structure.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

A descriptive essay provides a detailed sensory description of something. Like narrative essays, they allow you to be more creative than most academic writing, but they are more tightly focused than narrative essays. You might describe a specific place or object, rather than telling a whole story.

Descriptive essays test your ability to use language creatively, making striking word choices to convey a memorable picture of what you’re describing.

A descriptive essay can be quite loosely structured, though it should usually begin by introducing the object of your description and end by drawing an overall picture of it. The important thing is to use careful word choices and figurative language to create an original description of your object.

Mouse over the example below, a response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” to learn more about descriptive essays.

On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.

My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.

With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…

Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.

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Though every essay type tests your writing skills, some essays also test your ability to read carefully and critically. In a textual analysis essay, you don’t just present information on a topic, but closely analyze a text to explain how it achieves certain effects.

Rhetorical analysis

A rhetorical analysis looks at a persuasive text (e.g. a speech, an essay, a political cartoon) in terms of the rhetorical devices it uses, and evaluates their effectiveness.

The goal is not to state whether you agree with the author’s argument but to look at how they have constructed it.

The introduction of a rhetorical analysis presents the text, some background information, and your thesis statement; the body comprises the analysis itself; and the conclusion wraps up your analysis of the text, emphasizing its relevance to broader concerns.

The example below is from a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech . Mouse over it to learn more.

King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.

Literary analysis

A literary analysis essay presents a close reading of a work of literature—e.g. a poem or novel—to explore the choices made by the author and how they help to convey the text’s theme. It is not simply a book report or a review, but an in-depth interpretation of the text.

Literary analysis looks at things like setting, characters, themes, and figurative language. The goal is to closely analyze what the author conveys and how.

The introduction of a literary analysis essay presents the text and background, and provides your thesis statement; the body consists of close readings of the text with quotations and analysis in support of your argument; and the conclusion emphasizes what your approach tells us about the text.

Mouse over the example below, the introduction to a literary analysis essay on Frankenstein , to learn more.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.

Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”

The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.

Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:

• In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
• In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
• In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

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"Exploring the Difference: Essays vs. Articles in the World of Writing"

• June 5, 2024

Essay vs. Article

While articles can be informative, they aren’t always entertaining. However, magazines are more likely to feature engaging articles rather than essays.

The most distinctive difference between an essay and an article is the tone. Essays are traditionally subjective pieces of formal writing that analyse a specific topic. An essay writer investigates research, forms a fact-based opinion, informs others about their discoveries, and often gives verdicts based on their findings.

Articles, on the other hand, are normally objective. Writing an article doesn’t always require forming or expressing an opinion, nor does it demand an in-depth analysis of the information presented.

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Take a look at Cosmopolitan, National Geographic, or today’s newspaper, and you’ll see that articles can be structured in various ways. Some have headings, subheadings, and photos to help readers form their thoughts and opinions about the subject.

Essays, however, follow stricter rules and guidelines depending on the type of essay. Usually, essays have an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement, body paragraphs with topic sentences that expand on the thesis, and a conclusion that wraps up the author’s take on the information.

Entertainment Factor

While narrative essays can tell entertaining stories, it’s usually articles that magazines and newspapers use to keep their readers engaged.

The writer of an article decides what message they want to convey—sometimes it’s informative, sometimes it’s humorous. For an essay writer, it’s about thoroughly exploring a topic, forming an opinion, and explaining how they arrived at that opinion and why it matters.

Conclusion:

You’re not likely to find essays in entertainment magazines. If you’re seeking in-depth information on a subject, you’ll turn to an essay. But if you’re looking for a light, entertaining read that lets you draw your conclusions, you’ll reach for an article.

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Difference Between Article and Essay

Articles and essays are both common forms of written communication that are utilized in a variety of sectors of study and vocations. Their goal, organization, and writing style, however, differ.

Articles are pieces of text that are published in a newspaper, magazine, journal, or website, either in print or electronically. It is intended for a big audience. It is founded on surveys, research, data, and analysis, among other things. Articles can be short or somewhat more than 1500 words. It is written with a certain goal in mind and teaches the readers about an idea.

Articles inform readers and keep them up to date by appearing in newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, and, increasingly, websites. Let us use an example to better understand what an article is. Assume that in a research center, a scientist discovered any new notions and published a brief essay in a popular magazine, so that individuals in the same area found it useful and were also informed about a new thing.

Examples of articles include news articles, feature articles, and opinion pieces.

An essay is a formal and comprehensive piece of literature that describes a particular issue or topic analyzed and discussed. It refers to a short piece of writing on a particular subject. Mainly students in their academics are asked to write essays on some topics as a response to a question or proposition. It does not have a specific readership in mind.

Through essays, the writer or narrator expresses his or her personal views or opinion on a particular topic or a question and it is based on an educational and analytical tone. Let’s take an example and understand what is essay clearly suppose a school student has an exam and in the question paper he has been asked to write something explaining about Floods in India which is an example of an essay.

Examples of essays include academic essays, personal essays, and argumentative essays.

Tabular Differences between Article and Essay:

Conclusion:

In summary, articles and essays are two different forms of written communication that serve different purposes. Articles are used to provide information about a particular topic, while essays are used to express personal opinions or persuade the reader to take a certain course of action. Understanding the differences between the two can help you choose the appropriate format for your writing task.

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what's the difference between essay and feature article??? (1 Viewer)

• Thread starter Rmd_1
• Start date Oct 17, 2004

what's the difference between essay and feature article???  

anti said: Feature articles use a variety of techniques that you should have studied: pullout lines, short sentences, descriptive words, anecdotes, informal language, quotes, jokes, et al. You don't need to use all of them, although you should use: * A title. It doesn't have to be catchy, but if you come up with a good pun be my guest. * Appropriate tone. A feature article is not an essay with a title. It's important for you to attempt to create a relationship with the reader. It's perfectly acceptable to use 'I' and 'we' in a creative text, or even to write an anecdote using the second person 'you'. Keep it simple and don't get bogged down in details. * Specialised content. I hate to say this but you can't write a feature article without having some understanding of what you're writing about. Statistics or quotes from related sources and important events in the past or present are a good way to show understanding. Informative but not scientifically detailed. It differs for everybody but generally when I'm planning I write in dot points in order of writing. For example, for a feature article in a novice-techy magazine about the future of telephony - calling home is easier than ever [title] -- story not being able to get in contact with family when younger [anecdote] -- in fact, % of 13 and older have a mobile phone -- start of industry's revolution - opinions? [point] --- development of mobile phones --- the internet ---- development of webcams / chat rooms / instant messaging --- ip telephony (voip) -- how this has changed our lives --- the way we talk to one another --- how often we see one another --- advantages and disadvantages? -- another anecdote (funny) about still getting lost even though we have mobiles -- close with quote (please don't kill me! I just made it up then) Notice how it doesn't have a traditional essay structure (at least I wouldn't give it one) - rather, it relates back to society / in particular the AUDIENCE of the article. Click to expand...

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• Open access
• Published: 10 September 2024

A serum B-lymphocyte activation signature is a key distinguishing feature of the immune response in sarcoidosis compared to tuberculosis

• Ikhwanuliman Putera   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9350-5133 1 , 2 , 3 , 4   na1 ,
• Benjamin Schrijver 3   na1 ,
• P. Martijn Kolijn 3   na1 ,
• Astrid C. van Stigt   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0698-4672 2 , 3 , 5 ,
• Josianne C. E. M. ten Berge 1 ,
• Hanna IJspeert 3 , 5 ,
• Nicole M. A. Nagtzaam 3 ,
• Sigrid M. A. Swagemakers   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4339-8189 6 ,
• Jan A. M. van Laar 2 ,
• Rupesh Agrawal 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ,
• Saskia M. Rombach 2 ,
• P. Martin van Hagen 2 , 3 ,
• Rina La Distia Nora 4 &
• Willem A. Dik   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5235-3156 3  

Communications Biology volume  7 , Article number:  1114 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

• Adaptive immunity
• Immunological disorders
• Tuberculosis
• Uveal diseases

Sarcoidosis and tuberculosis (TB) are two granulomatous diseases that often share overlapping clinical features, including uveitis. We measured 368 inflammation-related proteins in serum in both diseases, with and without uveitis from two distinct geographically separated cohorts: sarcoidosis from the Netherlands and TB from Indonesia. A total of 192 and 102 differentially expressed proteins were found in sarcoidosis and active pulmonary TB compared to their geographical healthy controls, respectively. While substantial overlap exists in the immune-related pathways involved in both diseases, activation of B cell activating factor (BAFF) signaling and proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) mediated signaling pathways was specifically associated with sarcoidosis. We identified a B-lymphocyte activation signature consisting of BAFF, TNFRSF13B/TACI, TRAF2, IKBKG, MAPK9, NFATC1, and DAPP1 that was associated with sarcoidosis, regardless of the presence of uveitis. In summary, a difference in B-lymphocyte activation is a key discriminative immunological feature between sarcoidosis/ocular sarcoidosis (OS) and TB/ocular TB (OTB).

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Introduction.

Sarcoidosis and tuberculosis (TB) are two multi-systemic granulomatous inflammatory diseases that most often affect the lungs, although multiple organs can be affected, including the eyes 1 , 2 , 3 . Sarcoidosis is a disorder of unknown etiology in which a complex interaction exists between host, genetics, and environmental triggers. This is thought to result in aberrant immune activation to unidentified antigens 4 , 5 , 6 . Moreover, sarcoidosis is associated with both autoinflammatory and autoimmune features 2 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 . TB, on the other hand, is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ) infection 7 , 8 , 12 . The granulomas in sarcoidosis and TB display different histopathological characteristics; sarcoidosis is characterized by non-caseating granulomas with negative staining for infectious organisms and foreign material, while TB shows caseating granulomas with a positive acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear or culture of Mtb growth 1 , 2 , 7 . Exposure to certain micro-organisms or their non-degradable remnants has been proposed as one of the triggering events for sarcoidosis 4 , 6 . Because of disease similarities, Mtb is among the most studied microbial aetiologies in sarcoidosis 4 , 6 . Detection of Mtb components in sarcoid tissues and enhanced peripheral T-lymphocyte responses to Mtb antigens, such as KatG and ESAT-6, have been observed 6 , 13 . In line with this, communalities in lungs, lymph nodes, and peripheral blood gene transcription signatures and microRNA profiles have been reported between TB and sarcoidosis, although disease-specific signatures were observed as well 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 .

Uveitis, an intraocular inflammation, may occur as an extra-pulmonary manifestation in both sarcoidosis and TB. Granulomatous uveitis, characterized by granulomatous anterior chamber inflammation and choroidal granuloma, as well as retinal vasculitis, are clinical features commonly observed in both ocular sarcoidosis (OS) and ocular TB (OTB) 9 , 18 . Globally, OS accounts for 2-17% (median prevalence estimate: 6.7%) of uveitis cases 2 , while OTB accounts for ~7-11% of all uveitis cases in TB endemic regions and for ~3% in non-TB-endemic regions 19 . Certain patients might be categorized as having a “gray zone” diagnosis, where distinguishing between OS and OTB becomes challenging, resulting in what is sometimes referred to as “tuberculous-sarcoid uveitis” or “sarcoid-tuberculous uveitis” 7 . Moreover, concomitant sarcoidosis and TB and the occurrence of OS preceding systemic TB in the same patients have been previously described 20 , 21 , 22 . These observations further suggest a potential association between these two granulomatous diseases 7 .

Precise and timely diagnosis of TB and sarcoidosis are crucial since the two conditions are managed in distinct ways. Sarcoidosis relies on immunosuppression, while TB relies on anti-tubercular treatment 3 , 7 , 8 . However, in many clinical scenarios, establishing the diagnosis of sarcoidosis and TB using the currently available diagnostic modalities might not be straightforward 3 , 18 . The diagnostic dilemma is especially encountered in patients manifesting solely with uveitis without the involvement of any other organ system 9 , 23 . Obtaining ocular samples for histopathological examination of aforementioned specific granuloma characteristics or to detect Mtb , for instance by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), is practically challenging 12 . In addition, PCR analysis for OTB diagnosis lacks diagnostic power and is not endorsed by the latest classification criteria for routine diagnosis support 24 . Meanwhile, diagnosis of OS often depends on positive findings from other diagnostic modalities, such as chest computed tomography (CT), serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), together with exclusion of systemic Mtb infection by a negative tuberculin skin test (TST) or interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) test 9 , 23 , 25 . Nonetheless, in a high TB endemic setting, the presence of pulmonary parenchymal, pleural, and mediastinal lymph node abnormalities on chest radiographs without biopsy confirmation of non-caseating granulomas might also entangle the attending physician in the discrimination between true sarcoidosis and TB 8 . Thus, finding reliable disease-specific biomarkers that align with the underlying disease-specific pathways in sarcoidosis and TB, and that are applicable across the spectrum of patients with uveitis, is an urgent need and a topic of interest in current research 12 .

To date, it is still unknown why some patients with sarcoidosis or TB develop uveitis and whether common or disease-specific immune-related pathways are involved. The serum proteome, more easily accessible than the intraocular fluid proteome, provides an attractive route to unravel differences in pathobiological pathways that underlie disease entities 26 , 27 , 28 . While previously we identified candidate biomarkers through targeted vitreous proteomic analysis in OS and other uveitis 29 , the current approach of identifying a serum protein signature would avoid the potential risk of additional intraocular complications associated with diagnostic procedures attributed to intraocular sample collection 30 . Moreover, a proteomic approach may identify proteins that have the potential to serve as biomarker for diagnosis or monitoring of disease activity, or that may represent potential treatment targets 28 , 31 . By using a targeted proteomic approach to measure inflammation-related proteins in serum from sarcoidosis and TB patients with and without uveitis as well as healthy controls (HC), this study aimed: (1) to reveal and compare the biological pathways and upstream regulators associated with differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) observed in serum of each disease and (2) to explore proteins in the serum during clinically active uveitis in both diseases and further identify proteins with the potential to serve as diagnostic biomarker of sarcoidosis/OS and TB/OTB.

Patient characteristics

In total, 90 sarcoidosis patients and 22 active pulmonary TB patients were analyzed in this study. While female patients were more common among those diagnosed with sarcoidosis, males constituted the majority of TB patients included (Pearson Chi-Square test p  = 0.029). TB patients were younger than sarcoidosis patients ( t test p  = 0.001). Among S + OS and P + OTB patients, panuveitis and posterior uveitis were the two most commonly observed anatomical sites of uveitis (Table  1 ).

Serum proteomic profile of sarcoidosis and TB

Heat maps generated from the entire set of measured proteins in each cohort revealed that sarcoidosis cases showed a distinct pattern of measured proteins compared to DHC. Likewise, TB cases displayed a different protein pattern than IHC. It is important to note that there was no clear pattern associated with the presence of uveitis in either sarcoidosis or TB compared to patients without uveitis (Fig.  1A and B and Supplementary Fig.  1 ). In addition, no DEPs were observed in relation to active uveitis in sarcoidosis (Supplementary Fig.  2A ), while OTB was associated with a total of 13 downregulated DEPs (BANK1, NUB1, CCL26, SHMT1, MGMT, TBC1D5, FGF2, CCL7, TGFA, IL6, FCAR, CST7, and IL7; Supplementary Fig.  2B ). In total, 192 DEPs were found in relation to sarcoidosis and 102 DEPs in relation to TB (Figs.  1 C and 1D ). Of these DEPs 113 were specific to sarcoidosis and 23 to TB, while 79 DEPS were shared between both conditions (Fig.  1E ). The top 10 DEPs of total sarcoidosis groups versus DHC and total TB groups versus IHC are listed in Table  2 .

A Supervised heat map of 368 proteins from the Olink ® inflammation panel in sarcoidosis versus Dutch HC (DHC). B Supervised heat map of 368 proteins from the Olink ® inflammation panel in active pulmonary TB versus Indonesian HC (IHC). C Volcano plot of DEPs between sarcoidosis versus DHC. D Volcano plots of DEPs between active pulmonary TB versus IHC. E Venn diagram depicting disease specific and overlapping DEPs between sarcoidosis vs DHC and TB vs IHC comparisons.

Activated and inhibited pathways and upstream regulators in sarcoidosis and TB

We observed clear similarities between sarcoidosis and TB in terms of their activated and inhibited canonical pathways (Fig.  2A and Supplementary Table  1 ). Using the hierarchical clustering sorting method for activation z-score, we found that the most activated pathways in both sarcoidosis and TB are related to pathogen-induced cytokine storm signaling, wound healing signaling, macrophage classical activation signaling pathway, T-helper (Th)1 pathway, and crosstalk between dendritic cells and natural killer cells (Fig.  2A and Supplementary Table  1 ). Interestingly, the most strongly associated pathways with sarcoidosis were both B-cell activation pathways (Fig.  2A ), namely B cell activating factor (BAFF) signaling (Fig.  2B ) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) mediated signaling (Fig.  2C ). While BAFF itself is not included in the Olink ® Explore Inflammation panel, we confirmed higher serum BAFF in sarcoidosis compared to TB and HCs using luminex-immunoassay (Fig.  2B ). In addition, luminex-analysis revealed higher level of serum APRIL in sarcoidosis compared to DHC, in line with the observations from the Olink ® panel, but was comparable to TB (Fig.  1C ). Furthermore, IPA analysis identified the “IL-17F in allergic inflammatory airway disease” pathway to be specifically enhanced in TB compared to sarcoidosis, with a specific increase in CCL4. However, the other two pathways related to IL-17 signaling pathways (“IL-17 signaling” and “IL-17A signaling in fibroblasts”), were both activated in sarcoidosis and TB (Fig.  2A and Supplementary Table  1 ).

A Comparison of canonical pathways inhibited or activated in sarcoidosis and TB using hierarchical clustering sorting method in IPA ® showing pathways with z-score > 2 and < -2. B BAFF mediated signaling pathway and ( C ) APRIL mediated signaling pathway, as retrieved from IPA® and predicted activation to be more specifically related to sarcoidosis. The right bar graph depicts the corresponding level of measurement with Luminex assay. The height of the bar represents the median value, and the upper and lower horizontal bars represent 95% confidence interval. Symbols depict the proteins and the coloring indicates the following: Red proteins measured at increased level, green proteins measured at decreased level, orange proteins predicted to be activated, and blue proteins predicted to be inhibited. Line coloring indicates the following: orange line indicates activating effect, blue line indicates inhibitory effect, yellow line indicates inconsistency with what was actually measured for the respective protein, and gray line indicates an unpredictable effect. Line types indicate the following: solid line indicates a direct relationship and dashed line indicates indirect relationship. Two-sided p values: * p  < 0.05, ** p  < 0.01, *** p  < 0.001.

Given that age and sex differed significantly between sarcoidosis and active TB patients, an analysis with age and sex adjustment was also performed. The majority of DEPs in the initial unadjusted analysis for sarcoidosis (191 out of 192 DEPs) and nearly half of those for active TB (42 out of 102) were still observed using linear regression analysis for the protein NPX values. Comparison of analyses between unadjusted and adjusted-derived Ingenuity pathways showed no major differences. Importantly, BAFF signaling and APRIL-mediated signaling pathways were still significantly activated in sarcoidosis but not in active TB (Supplementary Fig.  3 ).

In line with the canonical pathways shared between sarcoidosis and TB, we also found that predicted upstream regulators strongly overlapped between both diseases. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), tetradecanoylphorbol acetate, and poly rI:rC-RNA are predicted as the most activated upstream regulators (Supplementary Table  2 ). The mechanistic networks of those aforementioned upstream regulators with other key regulators that are predicted to be involved in the identified protein expression profiles are depicted in Supplementary Fig.  4 . Protein networks generated using IPA ® from the identified DEPs in sarcoidosis are associated with “immunological disease,” “inflammatory response,” and “organismal injury and abnormalities.” In TB, the protein networks are associated with “hematological disease,” “immunological disease,” and “infectious disease” (Supplementary Fig.  5 ).

Contextualizing the findings of the proteomic assay with transcriptomic data

Next we explored whether our proteomic analysis demonstrated relevant consistency to publicly available blood transcriptomic profiles from sarcoidosis and TB. To achieve this, we conducted an overlay comparison between our identified Ingenuity canonical pathways and upstream regulators with publicly available transcriptomic datasets (GSE 83456). Several genes/proteins overlap between the transcriptomic and proteomic analyses in sarcoidosis and TB (Fig.  3A ). We observed a number of similar patterns of activated and inhibited pathways in both sarcoidosis and TB between the transcriptome-proteome data. Specifically, even though we did not observe upregulation of BAFF and APRIL-mediated signaling pathways in the transcriptomic dataset (Fig.  3B ), we noted downregulation of these pathways in TB (data not shown). This observation does support the overall notion that these pathways are less activated in TB than in sarcoidosis. Furthermore, the transcriptome-proteome analysis of upstream regulators, considered as drivers of the observed overrepresented genes and proteins, also revealed clear similarities between sarcoidosis and TB (Fig.  3C ).

A Genes overlap between transcriptomic (from GSE 83456) and current proteomic analysis in sarcoidosis and TB cohorts. B Overlay comparison of ingenuity canonical pathways generated from transcriptomic datasets (GSE 83456) with our identified proteome of sarcoidosis and TB. Pathways were hierarchically sorted by using a cut-off value of z-score > 3 and <−3. C Overlay comparison of upstream regulators generated from transcriptomic datasets (GSE83456) with our identified proteome of sarcoidosis and TB (hierarchically sorted by using a cut-off value of z-score > 5 and <−5).

In comparison to our previously generated RNA-sequencing data from Mtb -infected RPE cells 32 , we observed a comparable pattern of activated and inhibited pathways, as well as upstream regulators, when juxtaposed with the proteomic analysis of sarcoidosis and TB (Supplementary Fig.  6 ). Furthermore, analysis match feature in IPA ® allowed us to also compare our results to other publicly available datasets, including those from in vitro studies. We identified two available transcriptomic datasets from Mtb -infected human monocyte-derived macrophages 33 , 34 that demonstrated moderate to high similarity with our pulmonary TB dataset. Interestingly, the same level of similarity was also observed between the two Mtb -infected human monocyte-derived macrophage RNA sequencing datasets and our sarcoidosis serum proteome dataset. This analysis further confirmed the communalities in canonical pathways and upstream regulators we observed between TB and sarcoidosis (see Supplementary Table  3 ).

Identification of serum B-lymphocyte activation signature as key distinctive immunological feature in sarcoidosis compared to TB

As we observed the specific activation of the BAFF signaling and APRIL-mediated signaling pathways in sarcoidosis through IPA ® analysis, and further verification using luminex assay confirmed a significantly elevated BAFF level in the sera of sarcoidosis groups compared to TB and HC groups (Fig.  2B ), we here highlight increased DEPs that reflect B-lymphocyte activation in sarcoidosis. NPX values of five DEPs (TNFRSF13B/TACI, TRAF2, IKBKG, MAPK9, and NFATC1) involved in the BAFF signaling pathway (depicted in Fig.  2B ), and one other protein (SLAMF7) were significantly elevated in sarcoidosis, irrespective of the presence of uveitis (Fig.  4A ). We attempted to confirm this finding by measuring TNFRSF13B/TACI with another immunoassay (luminex assay: R&D Systems, Abingdon, UK), but values were below the detection limit of the assay (data not shown).

A NPX values from Olink ® for TNFRSF13B/TACI, TRAF2, IKBKG, MAPK9, NFATC1, and SLAMF7 in sarcoidosis versus Dutch HC and TB versus Indonesian HC comparisons. B Representative hematoxylin & eosin and corresponding CD20 immunofluorescence microscopy images were analyzed for lymph node granulomas in sarcoidosis and TB. Annotated areas for CD20-stained cells quantification were represented by purple-bounded areas for granulomas (G) and red-bounded areas for the surroundings of granulomas (S). The bar graph represents CD20-positive cell counts normalized based on the total cells detected per annotated area from processed slides in sarcoidosis (SARC) and TB. post-hoc test B-H corrected two-sided * p <0.05, ** p  < 0.01, *** p  < 0.001, **** p  < 0.0001.

To evaluate the influence of the unequal sample sizes on our initial analysis between the sarcoidosis and active pulmonary TB cohorts, we down sampled the sarcoidosis cohort. Using the DownSample function in the “caret” package in R, we randomly selected 20 samples from the sarcoidosis cohort (10 each with and without uveitis). An age- and sex-adjusted analysis of these 20 sarcoidosis patients versus DHC showed that, except for SLAMF7, the other five BAFF signaling-associated proteins remained significantly elevated, and subsequently, the BAFF signaling pathway also remained listed as a significantly activated pathway in the IPA ® analysis, which again fits the significantly higher BAFF levels we observed in thirty randomly selected sarcoidosis patients (15 with and 15 without uveitis) compared to active pulmonary TB patients and HC (Fig.  2B ).

Furthermore, when looking at the top 10 identified DEPs in the comparison of total sarcoidosis groups versus DHC (Table  2 ), we identified another protein related to B-lymphocyte activation but not included in the Ingenuity canonical BAFF signaling pathway, namely DAPP1/B-lymphocyte Adapter Protein Bam32. Of note, DAPP1 is not identified among the 102 DEPs in the comparison of total TB groups versus IHC. Next, to support our finding that B-lymphocyte involvement may be more prominent in sarcoidosis than TB we histo-pathologically analyzed granulomas obtained from both diseases for the presence of B-lymphocytes. This revealed that areas directly adjacent to sarcoid granulomas contain higher numbers of B-lymphocytes (CD20+ cells) than TB granulomas, while B-lymphocyte numbers within the granulomas did not differ between both diseases (Fig.  4B ).

Identification of additional protein signatures for distinguishing ocular sarcoidosis from ocular tuberculosis

Due to our inability to perform direct analysis of sarcoidosis versus TB for the identification of DEPs between these two entities, we employed an alternative Venn diagram approach to search for potential biomarkers to distinguish sarcoidosis from TB, with a specific focus on patients exhibiting disease-specific uveitis. This approach enabled us to identify DEPs non-overlapping in the direct comparisons we made between sarcoidosis vs DHC and TB vs IHC. Moreover, it is important to note that our direct comparisons within each disease group between cases with and without uveitis did not reveal any elevated DEPs associated with the presence of uveitis. This result could be interpreted as either a lack of power to detect elevated DEPs with our limited sample size, or it may truly reflect absence of elevated DEPs in case of uveitis. Our Venn diagram approach identified 112 DEPs associated with the total sarcoidosis group and not TB (group ‘a’ proteins, supplementary fig.  8 ), with an additional 15 DEPs associated only with OS (group ‘b’ proteins, Supplementary Fig.  8 ). Likewise, 6 DEPs were specifically associated with the total TB group and not sarcoidosis (group ‘c’ proteins, Supplementary fig.  8 ), with an additional 1 DEP specifically associated only with OTB (group ‘d’ proteins. supplementary fig.  8 ). Subsequently, we selected eight proteins and their serum levels were determined with another immunoassay (Luminex: R&D Systems, Abingdon, UK). This analysis confirmed that serum levels of IL-16, TNF superfamily member 10 (TNFSF10)/TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), FGF2, CCL11/eotaxin, and granzyme B (GZMB) were significantly elevated in sarcoidosis, especially in the S + OS group (Fig.  5 ). Importantly, among these proteins, IL-16, FGF2, and GZMB, which showed comparable levels between IHC and DHC, were significantly higher in the S + OS group than the P + OTB group. This suggests that the differences we observed in the abundance of these particular proteins are more associated with disease specificity rather than geographical differences. The FASLG level was elevated in the sarcoidosis group compared to the TB and HC groups, although not statistically significant after applying multiple testing corrections (possibly due to the limited number of samples in each group). Despite the lower IL-17C level in DHC than IHC comparable levels were observed between TB and sarcoidosis groups.

Bar graphs showing the level of eight selected proteins in the verification step are presented. All measurements were acquired through Luminex assays, with the exception of AMBN, which was obtained through ELISA. The height of the bar represents the median value, and the upper and lower horizontal bars represent 95% confidence interval. Post-hoc test B-H corrected two-sided p- values * p  < 0.05, ** p  < 0.01, *** p  < 0.001. PTB = active pulmonary TB without uveitis, P + OTB = active pulmonary TB with uveitis, SS = Sarcoidosis without uveitis, S + OS = sarcoidosis with uveitis, IHC = Indonesian healthy controls, DHC = Dutch healthy controls.

In this study, we conducted serum proteomics analysis that provided valuable insights into systemic proteins and biological pathways involved in sarcoidosis and TB and uncovered potential novel diagnostic biomarkers. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to compare the inflammatory serum proteome between sarcoidosis and TB, with specific attention to patients with uveitis (OS and OTB). Our findings highlight that, despite clear differences in serum DEPs between sarcoidosis and active TB, the two diseases exhibit significant overlap in the activation status of different biological pathways and upstream regulators. These findings support substantial pathophysiological communalities between the two diseases, which may explain, to a certain extent, the overlap in clinical manifestations between these diseases 7 , 8 . Yet, a number of disease-specific biological pathways were also identified. Importantly, we observed that activation of B-lymphocytes is more prominently associated with sarcoidosis. This was reflected by increased abundance of several B-lymphocyte signaling-related molecules, namely BAFF, TNFRSF13B/TACI, TRAF2, IKBKG, MAPK9, NFATC1, as well as DAPP1 in sarcoidosis.

APRIL and BAFF, both type II transmembrane proteins, play pivotal roles in B-lymphocyte maturation and survival 35 . These proteins share two receptors, the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF)13B, also known as TACI and TNFRSF17, also known as BCMA 35 . Additionally, BAFF also exerts its effects through the BAFF receptor (TNFRSF13C, see Fig.  2 B, C). Expression patterns of these three receptors varies across the different B-lymphocyte developmental stages 35 . With additional immunoassays, we could indeed confirm elevated BAFF and APRIL levels in serum from sarcoidosis. The observed activation of these crucial B-lymphocyte pathways in sarcoidosis further strengthens previous findings from our laboratory and others that B-lymphocytes are involved in sarcoidosis and may directly contribute to the local inflammatory process 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 . Importantly, the immunostaining we conducted on granulomas of sarcoidosis and TB revealed a notable higher B-lymphocyte accumulation in the direct surrounding of sarcoidosis granulomas. This observation further supports significantly higher B-lymphocyte involvement in sarcoidosis than TB. Furthermore, previous work from our laboratory, revealed that the peripheral B-lymphocyte compartment of sarcoidosis patients demonstrated a reduced population of natural effector B-lymphocytes, CD27+IgM+, CD27+IgG+, and CD27+IgA+ memory B-lymphocytes, as well as plasma cells 40 . This finding aligns with a study by Sassine et al. that demonstrated decreased circulating memory B-lymphocytes and an increase in serum BAFF levels in sarcoidsosis 41 . In further support of profound B-lymphocyte activation in sarcoidosis with uveitis are the elevated concentrations of BAFF and APRIL in aqueous humor from OS, that exceeded concentrations in other types of non-infectious uveitis (Behcet-associated uveitis, HLA-B27- associated uveitis and Vogt-Koyanagi Harada uveitis) 42 , 43 . Yet, the exact role of B-lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis is a matter of debate. Whether it signifies direct pathogenic activity, compensatory mechanisms, or reflects the selective migration of B-lymphocyte specific subsets to the site of inflammation, remains elusive. In line with the B-lymphocyte activation signaling pathway, we also observed that DAPP1/Bam32 was highly abundant in sarcoidosis (Table  2 ). DAPP1/Bam32, a 32 kDa B-lymphocyte adapter molecule, has been recognized for its substantial role in B-lymphocyte activation 44 , 45 . Interestingly, although not the first line treatment for sarcoidosis, successful management of refractory sarcoidosis using rituximab (anti-B-lymphocyte therapy) has been reported in several small studies 46 , 47 . Larger studies are required to further assess the efficacy of rituximab or belimumab to obtain a more solid conclusion on the effect of anti-B-lymphocyte therapy in sarcoidosis.

In active TB, the role of B-lymphocytes is less well explored than that of T-lymphocytes. Nevertheless, B-lymphocytes are considered important for TB immunity 48 , 49 . Joosten et al. observed that active PTB was associated with impaired B-lymphocyte function (impaired proliferation, immunoglobulin and cytokine production), lower frequencies of total circulating B-lymphocytes, especially of naïve B-lymphocytes, and increased frequencies of atypical CD21 - CD27 - and IgD - CD27 - memory B-lymphocytes 50 . Furthermore, they observed only minor B-lymphocyte infiltration in the outer part of granulomas in lung biopsy samples from patients deceased of TB 50 . These findings are in line with our current observation that active TB is associated with a different level of B-lymphocyte activation than sarcoidosis 50 .

Limited studies utilizing proteomics approaches, particularly using intraocular fluid samples, have been conducted to investigate the underlying biology and potential protein signatures in both OS and OTB 51 , 52 . Given the difficulties related to ocular fluid analysis (i.e., invasiveness and limited sample volume) for research and routine diagnostic purposes 30 , easily obtainable peripheral blood samples, as we performed, could also offer valuable insights applicable as a discriminative biomarker for OS and OTB. We hypothesized that these two systemic granulomatous diseases presenting with uveitis might exhibit distinct serum proteomic profiles from those without uveitis, with the expectation that certain proteins would be elevated and uveitis-specific. However, our initial direct comparison between disease cases with and without uveitis did not reveal any additional inflammation-associated proteins in the serum specifically linked to the presence of uveitis, either in sarcoidosis or TB. Possibly, the small volume of the eyes compared to that of the whole body and blood volume and the unique immune-privileged status of the eyes might very well limit the release and detection of uveitis-associated proteins in the blood 53 .

Clinical differentiation between OTB and OS can be troublesome, especially in the context of isolated granulomatous uveitis 7 . We propose that the serum proteins we identified in the context of B-lymphocyte activation in sarcoidosis are of potential interest to serve as biomarker candidates for discriminating between OS and OTB. This should, however, be confirmed by other studies. Using an alternative approach (depicted in supplementary fig.  8 ), we identified some additional promising serum biomarker candidates for differentiating OS from OTB. This includes IL-16, TNFSF10/ TRAIL, FGF2, eotaxin, GZMB as well as the previously identified CCL17 29 , 54 , which underscores the validity of our approach. These molecules may be linked to specific pathomechanisms known to occur in sarcoidosis. IL-16, along with CCL17, was also found elevated in cerebrospinal fluid of neurosarcoidosis patients 55 . IL-16 may be involved in the regulation of IL-2-dependent T-lymphocyte proliferation and contributes to B-lymphocyte differentiation 56 . In our analysis, AMBN (ameloblastin) emerged as the sole protein specific to OTB. While this finding highlights AMBN as a promising serum biomarker for OTB diagnostics, we could not confirm its elevation in OTB with a different immunoassay due to a lack of sample availability and most of the samples tested appeared below the assays limit of quantification. However, a previous serum proteomics study conducted by Penn-Nicholson et al. found AMBN as one of the proteins significantly linked to the progression of active pulmonary TB in previously healthy individuals, but the association with OTB was not explored in that particular study 57 . Although our observation and the study by Penn-Nicholson et al. support a role for AMBN in TB, its contribution to TB pathogenesis remains to be explored. AMBN is an enamel matrix protein mainly known for its role in dental pulp healing and bone repair, but was also found to contribute to LPS-induced IL-1β production 58 . Although this latter observations supports a role for AMBN in the regulation of infectious inflammation, future investigations on AMBN are required to delve into its role in TB/OTB.

Besides the specific sarcoidosis-associated B-lymphocyte activation pathways, we identified overlapping pathways and upstream regulators between sarcoidosis and TB, which further supports previous findings that these diseases share common disease pathways. The canonical pathway analysis conducted supports the role of macrophage activation and Th1 signaling pathways in both sarcoidosis and TB. Granuloma formation is well known to involve macrophages and a Th1-dominated immune response, with major contributions of IFNγ, IL-2, IL-12p40, and TNF-α 59 , 60 . It has been reported that the peripheral blood transcriptome of pulmonary sarcoidosis and active pulmonary TB display considerable overlap, as was also observed for peripheral blood microRNA expression profiles and selected serum cytokine levels 17 . It was also observed that IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, and TNF-α levels were comparably elevated in BAL fluid from both diseases 61 . The shared peripheral blood transcriptional patterns comprised the upregulation of pro-inflammatory pathways and interferon signaling in both diseases 17 , 62 . In an analysis conducted on human lung tissues, Chai et al. found an overlap of 255 lung-derived gene expressions between sarcoidosis and TB, particularly highlighting shared genes related to immune response, extracellular matrix organization, and cell migration 16 . Thus, our findings, employing an omics platform distinct from the aforementioned studies, substantiate the concept of a shared disease mechanism between sarcoidosis and TB. It was suggested that insoluble mycobacterial antigens could contribute to the development of sarcoidosis, supported by observations across several studies that a significantly higher number of sarcoidosis patients showed positive T-lymphocyte responses to Mtb antigens than healthy controls 63 . This, along with our current data, strengthens a previous postulate that sarcoidosis and TB might represent opposite ends of the same disease spectrum, to which HLA associations also contribute (e.g. HLADRB1*03/07/05 predisposes to sarcoidosis but potentially confers protection to TB, while the opposite may be true for HLADRB1*04) 3 , 7 , 64 .

Our study poses several limitations. Since we provide a single-time snapshot of serum proteomic profiles, we were unable to evaluate how the chronicity or duration of the diseases may influence the observed DEPs and pathway analyses. Additionally, we pre-selected proteins from the inflammation panel of the Olink ® platform. Given the potential extrapulmonary dissemination of Mtb and the involvement of various organs in sarcoidosis, including the heart and brain 4 , it is possible that proteins specifically linked to these organs - which are not included in the inflammation panel - are present in the serum. However, as discussed above, the currently used pre-set inflammation panel is considerably sufficient to capture important proteins involved in active sarcoidosis and PTB and to describe major biological inflammatory processes that occur in both diseases. It is also important to note that the sample sizes among the groups (sarcoidosis and active pulmonary TB) were unequal. We acknowledge that this is a limitation in the study design. To assess the impact of sample size on our results, we down sampled the sarcoidosis group to 20 randomly selected individuals using the “caret” R package. After down sampling, five out of six proteins belonging to the BAFF signaling pathway remained significantly elevated among sarcoidosis patients (supplementary fig.  7 and supplementary table  4 ). Moreover, using a bead-based immunoassay we demonstrated elevated serum BAFF level in another thirty randomly selected sarcoidosis, which strongly supports the putative biological relevance of the BAFF signaling pathway in sarcoidosis. While suggestive, our findings need validation in subsequent independent larger cohorts, preferably with a balanced study design, to strengthen the robustness of our findings. Ideally, further studies should include both sarcoidosis and TB patients from the same geographical region to better assess the accuracy of biomarker candidates. In our analysis, we were unable to directly compare the sarcoidosis cohort with the TB cohort due to the fact that the cohorts originated from different populations, and the Olink ® proteomics analysis was conducted in a separate run for each disease with its respective healthy control group. Despite this limitation, we successfully validated our discovery analysis for several different molecules by the use of other immunoassays, which supports the validity and analytical approach we used for comparing the extensive serum proteomes between sarcoidosis and TB.

In conclusion, we conducted an extensive serum proteomic analysis of sarcoidosis and TB patients, with an additional focus on disease associated uveitis. Our data provide compelling evidence that, despite shared pathobiological pathways between sarcoidosis and TB, B-lymphocyte activation is more prominently associated with sarcoidosis. This is reflected by a serum B-lymphocyte activation signature (elevated BAFF, TNFRSF13B/TACI, TRAF2, IKBKG, MAPK9, NFATC1, and DAPP1/Bam32) in sarcoidosis as well as increased B-lymphocyte numbers surrounding sarcoid granulomas. Besides this B-lymphocyte activation signature, we identified additional serum proteins (i.e., CCL17, IL-16, FGF2, and GZMB) that may hold promise as potential serum biomarkers to discriminate OS from OTB, addressing a current challenge in daily clinical practice. Further studies unraveling the role of B-lymphocytes in sarcoidosis and TB as well as evaluating the diagnostic utility of here identified serum proteins to discriminate between sarcoidosis/OS and PTB/OTB are warranted.

Ethical considerations

This study was performed according to the Helsinki guidelines and was approved by the local medical ethics committees from Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (MEC-2014-476, MEC-2020-0193 and MEC-2021-0251), and Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia (268/H2.F1/ETIK/2014). All ethical regulations relevant to human research participants were followed. Informed consent was obtained from all included patients.

Patients recruitment

We included patients with established sarcoidosis diagnosis, with and without uveitis 65 , 66 , as well as patients with clinically active pulmonary TB with and without uveitis. To achieve this, we included two distinct cohorts from geographically separated regions. It is important to note that in our previous study with one-year recruitment period of newly diagnosed uveitis cases in Indonesia there were no biopsy-proven cases of OS. In that cohort, 12 patients (8% of all uveitis cases) were diagnosed as OTB, with the concomitant presence of uveitis with active pulmonary TB 67 . These 12 patients, along with another 10 active pulmonary TB patients without uveitis recruited during that study period, were further included in this study. On the other hand, a diagnosis of OTB in the Netherlands was mostly presumptive based on a positive IGRA results and exclusion of other potential etiologies in the context of active uveitis 68 . Of note, OS was prevalent, accounting for 13.7% of all uveitis cases in the Netherlands 69 . Therefore, reflecting the distinct prevalence of geographically pecific diseases, we recruited sarcoidosis patients from the Netherlands, while active TB patients were sourced from Indonesia. For comparison, healthy controls from the Netherlands and Indonesia were included.

Sarcoidosis patients

Serum samples from 90 sarcoidosis patients with systemic manifestations were included in this study, 44 without uveitis (systemic sarcoidosis: SS) and 46 with uveitis (systemic plus ocular sarcoidosis: S + OS). These were retrieved from the local biobank (IDRIA). Sarcoidosis patients were recruited between January 2017 and March 2019 at the outpatient clinic of the Department of Internal Medicine, section of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made by the attending clinical immunologist based on clinical presentation suggestive of sarcoidosis together with either (1) histopathological proof of non-caseating granuloma from biopsy specimen or (2) combination of clinical presentation and diagnostic-workup results (including chest radiograph/CT-scan, serum ACE and serum sIL-2R) 65 , 66 . Out of 90 sarcoidosis patients included in this study, the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was supported by a biopsy showing granulomatous inflammation suggestive for sarcoidosis in 75 patients (75/90, 83.3%). Only one sarcoidosis patient had positive IGRA, but the sarcoidosis diagnosis was made on histopathological features matching sarcoidosis rather than TB and supported by the absence of other signs of active or previous systemic TB, meeting the diagnostic criteria for definitive sarcoidosis 65 .

OS diagnosis was made with an agreement between the attending uveitis specialist and clinical immunologist. Depending on the anatomical site of uveitis, workup tests were performed, which included, but were not limited to, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, QuantiFERON‐TB Gold test (QFT), and syphilis screening tests. When indicated, ocular fluid analysis was performed to screen for infectious pathogens through PCR and Goldmann–Witmer coefficient (GWC). None of the included OS cases concomitantly had another infectious cause.

Active pulmonary TB patients

Serum samples from active pulmonary TB patients ( n  = 22) used for this study were from a previously described prospective cohort study from Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia 67 . Pulmonary TB diagnosis was made by a TB-expert pulmonologist based on the presence of either positive AFB sputum smear or active TB lesion from chest radiograph according to the Indonesian Society of Respirology TB guideline along with suggestive clinical symptoms 67 . In this study, 10 active pulmonary TB patients without uveitis (pulmonary tuberculosis: PTB) were AFB sputum smear positive. Uveitis workup included, but was not limited to, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, QFT, and syphilis screening tests. OTB diagnosis was made by a uveitis specialist based on the presence of active uveitis occurring concurrently with active pulmonary TB disease upon workup and consultation with an appointed pulmonologist. From the 12 active pulmonary TB patients with uveitis (pulmonary plus ocular tuberculosis: P + OTB), only two patients had positive AFB sputum smears. The diagnosis of active pulmonary TB in the other 10 cases with uveitis was established based on clinical presentation and radiological examinations showing active pulmonary TB lesions.

Patients’ workup

All patients underwent a systematic workup as part of the routine diagnostic process at baseline presentation. Complete blood counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, syphilis serology (TPHA and VDRL), chest X-ray, and QFT tests were performed for all patients. None of the included patients tested positive for syphilis serology or HIV. Among sarcoidosis uveitis patients, two underwent ocular fluid analysis for PCR testing for herpes simplex virus (HSV), Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus, Rubella Virus, and Cytomegalovirus (CMV), along with Goldmann-Witmer coefficient calculation, and neither tested positive for these viruses. Among uveitis patients with active pulmonary TB, five underwent ocular fluid PCR for multiple pathogens ( Mtb , CMV, VZV, HSV, Rubella, and Toxoplasma gondii ). One patient tested positive for Mtb PCR, and none tested positive for the other pathogens. All patients were consulted by the Department of Internal Medicine (Internist-Immunologist and or pulmonologist) at each study site. None of the included patients had coexisting autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases upon thorough clinical and laboratory examination.

Healthy controls

Since patient cohorts were from two geographical distinct regions, we included two separate geographically matched healthy controls (HC) cohorts for this study. The first HC cohort consisted of 23 individuals from the Netherlands (Dutch healthy controls; DHC). The second HC cohort consisted of 22 individuals from Indonesia (Indonesian healthy controls; IHC). HC from both cohorts had no history of uveitis, sarcoidosis, TB or other immunological disease and did not use any type of medication. Additionally, all IHC were QFT negative.

Serum samples processing

Preparation and storage.

Serum samples from all individuals from both the Netherlands and Indonesia were isolated from peripheral venous blood within 3 h after blood draw. In brief, sera were obtained by centrifugation at 3000 ×g for 10 minutes, aliquoted (1 mL) into 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tubes and stored at −80 °C, until use. Serum samples from the Indonesian cohort were transported to and arrived in the Netherlands in frozen condition. Sample transfer adhered to the material transfer agreement between the two involved institutions.

Targeted proteomics assay: discovery step

Measurement of serum levels of 368 proteins related to inflammation was conducted by Olink (Boston, USA) with the Olink ® Explore Inflammation panel (list of measured proteins within inflammation panel: https://olink.com/resources-support/document-download-center/olink-explore-3072-assay-list-2023-06-08/ ). The normalized protein expression (NPX) values provided by Olink ® serve as surrogate marker for protein abundance and were used for further analyses. Proteins detected in more than 25% of all samples were included for further analyses, resulting in the inclusion of 357 out of 368 proteins from the Olink ® inflammation panel. Data values below the limit of detection of included proteins were replaced by fixed value (zero) as suggested by the manufacturer. One SS patient failed quality control for all 368 proteins and was excluded from further analysis. The proteomic analysis between sarcoidosis versus DHC and active pulmonary TB versus IHC was performed independently as the measurement of all included serum samples were conducted in two separate runs. Hence, for the purpose of direct comparison analysis between disease (case) and control groups, the sarcoidosis cohorts were only directly compared to DHC. A similar approach was applied for TB, with TB cohorts being compared to IHC. Statistical comparisons between groups were made using a Mann-Whitney U test with multiple testing corrections using the Benjamini–Hochberg (B–H) procedure, also known as false discovery rate (FDR) correction. An FDR-adjusted p -value p  < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analysis was performed in R (v4.2.2, R Core Team 2021).

Luminex and ELISA assays: verification step

Proteins selected for further verification from the proteomic discovery experiments were measured in the included cohorts using a multiplex approach (Luminex assay; R&D Systems, Abingdon, UK) in a single run. This approach enabled a direct comparative measurement between the Dutch (sarcoidosis and DHC) and Indonesian (TB and IHC) cohorts in a single run, which was not applicable during the discovery phase of the proteomic analysis. Protein selection comprised disease-specific biomarker candidates found in the discovery step for which Luminex assays were commercially available. These included APRIL/TNFSF13, BAFF/TNFSF13B, CCL11/Eotaxin, FGF basic/FGF2/bFGF, Fas Ligand/TNFSF6, Granzyme B (GZMB), IL-16, IL-17C, TRAIL/TNFSF10, and TNFRSF13B/TACI. The protein AMBN was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; LSBio, USA). Due to the limited amount of remaining samples from the Indonesian cohort, only nine PTB and nine P + OTB could be analyzed with the Luminex assay. We also randomly selected 15 individuals from the SS, S + OS, and HC groups to balance the sample size of each cohort of this verification step by using a computerized randomization tool ( https://www.random.org/lists/ ) for sarcoidosis cohorts (SS and S + OS). Furthermore, we proceeded with the remaining 13 TB samples (four PTB and nine P + OTB), for which we randomly selected 13 S + OS and 13 SS to compare for AMBN measurement. Assays were performed according to manufacturers’ instructions. Statistical comparisons between groups were made using a Kruskal-Wallis one-way test followed by post-hoc test with B-H corrected p- values for multiple comparison testing. All the graphs and statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism software version 9.0.0 for Windows (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA, USA).

Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA)

QIAGEN’s Ingenuity ® Pathway Analysis (IPA ® , QIAGEN Redwood City, www.qiagen.com/ingenuity ) software was used for canonical pathway and upstream regulator analyses using the DEPs identified in our study. The B-H correction method was used to adjust both canonical pathway and upstream regulator p -values and 0.05 was set as threshold for significance. A comparison analysis in IPA between datasets: sarcoidosis (SS and S + OS) versus DHC and active pulmonary TB (PTB and P + OTB) versus IHC was also performed. Identified significant pathways with activation z-scores >2 or < −2 were then hierarchically sorted.

We also retrieved and compared our identified biological pathways and upstream regulators from our sarcoidosis and TB proteomic data with our previous RNA-seq dataset of Mtb -infected retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells (DESEQ2, adjusted p- value < 0.01, log2 fold change cut-off 1.5) 32 , as well with publicly available curated RNA-seq datasets in IPA ® derived from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository ( www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/ ). GEO accession number GSE 83456 was used for comparison as this dataset contained whole blood transcriptomic analysis for sarcoidosis ( n  = 49) versus healthy controls and TB (extrapulmonary, n  = 47, and pulmonary, n  = 45) versus healthy controls from a single cohort of the UK population 70 . In addition, we also used analysis match feature in IPA ® to provide additional bioinformatics validation of the canonical pathways and upstream regulators we identified. We highlighted a comparison between our analyzed sarcoidosis and TB datasets and relevant publicly available transcriptomic datasets sourced from in vitro experiments with overall level of agreement of more than 50% with our observations.

Immunofluorescence image analysis of sarcoidosis and TB granulomas

Tissue slides (4 μm) from granuloma containing biopsies from six individuals with sarcoidosis and six with TB were kindly provided by dr. J.H. von der Thüsen (Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands). Biopsies from from all sarcoidosis cases were from lymph nodes, while for TB, three biopsies were from the intestine, one from a lymph node, one from the skin, and one from pleural tissue. Biopsy sections were stained with FITC-labeled CD20 (mouse monoclonal anti-human CD20 clone L26; Ventana-Roche, Tuscon, USA) and DAPI. Granulomas and their adjacent surrounding structures were annotated. A total of 10 annotated areas per slide were further analyzed. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining were used as a reference slide for accurate granuloma annotation. The ZEISS Axio Imager 2.0 fluorescence microscope with ×40 magnification was used to scan the processed slides. QuPath (Quantitative Pathology and Bioimage analysis software) version 0.4.3 (41) was used for image analysis. The specific region of interest (ROI) was marked by manual annotations. Nuclei identification via the DAPI signal was performed using the ‘Cell detection’ command, utilizing consistent settings across all slides and batches. For the identification and quantification of CD20 fluorescently labeled cells, QuPath’s simple threshold method was set and applied per tissue slide. A classifier was created concurrently incorporating DAPI and the CD20-immunofluorescence channel. This configuration was executed simultaneously prior to protein count data extraction. Positive cell counts were normalized based on the total cells detected per annotated area. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism version 9.0.0.

Reporting summary

Further information on research design is available in the  Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.

Data availability

The authors declare that all generated data supporting the findings of this study are available within the paper as supplementary information files. Numerical source data can be found in Supplementary Data  1 . Other RNA-seq data used for pathway analysis in IPA ® are available from GSE 83456 70 and supplementary file of the previous publication 32 . The serum proteomics data of all sarcoidosis and active pulmonary TB patients were deposited into the figshare repository, as part of this record: https://figshare.com/s/c8128b5610fed0023da7 . Additional relevant data not mentioned here is available upon specific request.

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Acknowledgements

I.P. and R.L.D.N. are supported by Riset Inovatif Produktif—Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (RISPRO-LPDP) [RISPRO/KI/B1/KOM/5/15219/4/2020]. The funding source had no involvement in the collection, analysis, interpretation, writing of the report, and the decision to submit the article for publication.

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These authors contributed equally: Ikhwanuliman Putera, Benjamin Schrijver, P. Martijn Kolijn.

Authors and Affiliations

Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Ikhwanuliman Putera & Josianne C. E. M. ten Berge

Department of Internal Medicine Section Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Ikhwanuliman Putera, Astrid C. van Stigt, Jan A. M. van Laar, Saskia M. Rombach & P. Martin van Hagen

Laboratory Medical Immunology, Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Ikhwanuliman Putera, Benjamin Schrijver, P. Martijn Kolijn, Astrid C. van Stigt, Hanna IJspeert, Nicole M. A. Nagtzaam, P. Martin van Hagen & Willem A. Dik

Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia

Ikhwanuliman Putera & Rina La Distia Nora

Academic Center for Rare Immunological Diseases (Rare Immunological Disease Center), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Astrid C. van Stigt & Hanna IJspeert

Department of Bioinformatics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Sigrid M. A. Swagemakers

National Healthcare Group Eye Institute, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore

Rupesh Agrawal

Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Program, Duke NUS University, Singapore, Singapore

Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore

Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom

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Contributions

W.A.D. designed the study. I.P., B.S. and P.M.K. performed the initial analysis of serum proteomics. I.P. and W.A.D. wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. A.C.vS. performed microscopy slides analysis and interpretation. J.C.E.M.tB., S.M.R., J.A.M.vL., R.L.D.N. and P.M.vH. involved in patients characterization and recruitment. Protein verification was performed by I.P. and N.M.A.N. Primary statistical analysis was performed by I.P., P.M.K., and S.M.A.S. All authors, I.P., B.S., P.M.K., A.C.vS., J.C.E.M.tB., H.I., N.M.A.N., S.M.A.S., J.A.M.vL., R.A., S.M.R., P.M.vH., R.L.D.N., and W.A.D., contributed significantly in data analysis and interpretation, as well as review and editing process of the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the submitted manuscript.

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Putera, I., Schrijver, B., Kolijn, P.M. et al. A serum B-lymphocyte activation signature is a key distinguishing feature of the immune response in sarcoidosis compared to tuberculosis. Commun Biol 7 , 1114 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06822-1

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Published : 10 September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06822-1

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