The relationship between fatigue and clinical parameters in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Background And Aim Of The Work: Studies on the relationship between fatigue and clinical parameters are sparse. In the present study this relationship was examined in a systematic way.

Methods: Patients with time since diagnosis < or = 2 years, visiting the outpatient clinic of the University Hospital Maastricht (n = 60; 34 untreated, 26 treated) were clinically evaluated and completed the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS).

Relationship between myeloperoxidase promotor polymorphism and disease severity in sarcoidosis.

Background: Previously, we demonstrated that the number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) is useful in distinguishing sarcoidosis patients with a favorable outcome from those having a more severe course of disease. Neutrophils contain the oxidant-generating enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO). Cellular levels of MPO can be influenced by functional promotor polymorphisms, ?463G/A and ?129G/A, which may modify disease severity.

Potential usefulness of inflammatory markers to monitor respiratory functional impairment in sarcoidosis.

Background: Sarcoidosis is a multiorgan inflammatory granulomatous disorder of unknown origin for which adequate markers to monitor disease severity are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential clinical usefulness of serologic markers of inflammation [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA)], T-cell activation [soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL2R)], and granuloma formation [angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)] for monitoring of sarcoidosis.

Methods: Of the 185 sarcoidosis patients who visited the Sarcoidosis Management Center between 1999 and 2002, we selected 144 nonsmoking patients: 73 untreated (group I) and 71 treated (group II).

Evaluation of two new high-sensitivity methods for C-reactive protein.

Background: The implementation of a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) assay as a routine laboratory parameter may be necessary. It would be most practical to use one CRP method giving reliable results for the whole concentration range. We report here the evaluation of two new hs-CRP methods, which cover both the low and the high concentration ranges.

Decreased redox state in red blood cells from patients with sarcoidosis.

Background And Aim Of The Work: The glutathione system has a key role in the defence against oxidative stress. To function properly, this system needs NADPH to maintain glutathione (GSH) in its reduced form. We hypothesized that the clinical problems associated with sarcoidosis might be related to a decreased anti-oxidant defence and we therefore measured the activity of the NADPH-generating enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), the GSH-regenerating enzyme glutathione reductase (GR) and indirectly the level of NADPH in red blood cells from patients with sarcoidosis.