Open AccessFatigue in coccidioidomycosis. Quantification and correlation with clinical, immunological, and nutritional factors
Author(s) -
Jennifer Muir Bowers,
John Mourani,
Neil M. Ampel
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
medical mycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.004
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1460-2709
pISSN - 1369-3786
DOI - 10.1080/13693780600794533
Subject(s) - medicine , cohort , body mass index , gastroenterology , persistence (discontinuity) , immunology , geotechnical engineering , engineering
While described in the past, the frequency and degree of fatigue associated with symptomatic coccidioidomycosis has never been quantified. Using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), severe fatigue (FSS score = 41) was found in 65% of cases of active coccidioidomycosis compared to 42% in cohort of control subjects with chronic medical diseases (P=0.024). Fatigue in patients with symptomatic coccidioidomycosis declined significantly over four months (P=0.023). Severe fatigue in patients with symptomatic coccidioidomycosis was significantly associated with low body mass index (BMI; P=0.024) but was not significantly associated with either serum leptin (r2=0.078, P=0.261) or serum TNF-alpha (r2=0.028, P=0.504) concentrations. Severe fatigue is a common condition among patients with active coccidioidomycosis and is associated with a declining BMI.