Association of fatigue with an acute phase response in sarcoidosis

The pathophysiological explanation for fatigue, one of the most common symptoms in sarcoidosis, still has to be elucidated. It was hypothesized that the presence of fatigue is associated with an acute phase response in sarcoidosis. A cross‐sectional study was performed in 38 sarcoidosis patients. Resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured in the fasting state by indirect calorimetry using a ventilated hood and adjusted for fat‐free mass (FFM). Patients with fatigue (n=25) also suffered more frequently from other symptoms, such as exercise intolerance (p=0.01), the need for sleep (p=0.02) and weight loss (p=0.01), compared to those without fatigue (n=13). However, no relationship was found between fatigue and serum angiotensin‐converting enzyme (sACE) or lung function impairment. Patients with fatigue had higher levels of C‐reactive protein (CRP) (11.4±6.8 µg·mL‐1, p