Self-rated health is associated with fatigue, but not inflammatory cytokines or fraction of exhaled nitric oxide in men and women with allergic asthma

• Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder with both local and systemic inflammation and is associated with elevated levels of cytokines as well as exhaled fraction of nitric oxide (FeNO). Fatigue is a prominent symptom. Poor self-rated health has previously been associated to fatigue and inflammatory markers. However, it is not known if self-rated health is associated with fatigue and inflammation also in patients with asthma. Here, we investigated the associations between self-rated health, fatigue, inflammatory cytokines and FeNO in patients with asthma. Self-rated health, fatigue, levels of cytokines and FeNO were assessed in 184 (93 men, 91 women) non-smoking patients with allergic asthma aged 18–64 years in a one-year longitudinal study with five repeated measurements, two for cytokine levels. Analyses of associations between repeated measurements were performed using mixed regression models. More fatigue was associated with poor self-rated health in both men and women (p < 0.001). Fatigue was also associated to elevated levels of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in women (p < 0.01). However, no association between self-rated health, inflammatory cytokines and FeNO were found. In conclusion, fatigue is an important determinant of self-rated health also in patients with asthma. In addition, fatigue was associated to elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines in women. Possibly, variance in inflammation may be of less importance in a chronic inflammatory condition such as asthma in relation to how subjective health is appraised.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Psykiatri (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Psychiatry (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Immunologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Immunology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

art (subject category)