Comment on: Successful hydroxychloroquine treatment for familial Mediterranean fever in a Japanese patient with concurrent systemic lupus erythematosus

Background:Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by multisystem inflammatory lesions affecting many organ systems in the body. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disease of chronic autoimmune inflammation characterized by frequently relapsing self-limiting fever and inflammation that may be localized in peritoneum, pleura, joint or skin.1Previous studies have described the similarity of clinical symptoms of FMF among SLE patients. However, the literature on this topic is inconsistent and based mostly on case reports.2-4Objectives:To examine the proportions of coexistence of FMF among SLE patients compared to the general population. We hypothesized that the proportion of FMF among SLE patients is higher than the general population.Methods:This cross-sectional study used the Clalit Health Services database, the largest Health Maintenance Organization in Israel, serving 4,400,000 members. SLE patients were compared to age- and sex-matched controls. Chi- was used for univariate analysis.Results:The study included4886 SLEpatients and 24430 age- and sex-matched controls. The SLE group had a significantly higher proportion of FMF patients compared to non-SLE controls (0.68% and 0.21% respectively; p < 0.001).Table 1. All study populationTable 1.SLE patients and matched controls basic characteristicsNo SLESLEp.overallN=24430N=4886Age51.2±16.551.2±16.51.000Gender: Female20100 (82.3%)4020 (82.3%)1.000FMF52 (0.21%)33 (0.68%)<0.001Table 2. StratificationTable 2.comparison of FMF patients with and without SLEFMF without SLEFMF with SLEp.overallN=52N=33Age44.6±13.750.5±17.70.106Gender: Female45 (86.5%)26 (78.8%)0.523Conclusion:FMF was found to be more common amongst SLE patients compared to matched controls.The current study results suggest that the occurrence of SLE turn patients with an appropriate genetic and environmental setting to develop also FMF. This cross-sectional study sheds light on the coexistence of these two diseases, autoimmune and autoinflammatory.References:[1]Kucuk A, Gezer IA, Ucar R, Karahan AY. Familial mediterranean fever.Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove). 2014;57(3):97-104.[2]Lidar M, Zandman-Goddard G, Shinar Y, Zaks N, Livneh A, Langevitz P. SLE and FMF: A possible negative association between the two disease entities–report of four cases and review of the literature.Lupus. 2008;17(7):663-669.[3]Erten S, Taskaldiran I, Yakut ZI. Are systemic lupus erythematosus patients carrying MEFV gene less prone to renal involvement? report of three cases and review of the literature.Ren Fail. 2013;35(7):1013-1016.[4]Shinar Y, Kosach E, Langevitz P, et al. Familial mediterranean Fever gene (MEFV) mutations as a modifier of systemic lupus erythematosus.Lupus. 2012;21(9):993-998.Disclosure of Interests: :None declared

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Quality of life measures and psychiatric symptoms in adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus and familial Mediterranean fever

International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health ◽

10.1515/ijamh-2013-0332 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 541-549 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Yasemin Düzçeker ◽

Nuray Ö. Kanbur ◽

Erkan Demirkaya ◽

Orhan Derman ◽

Lakshmi N. Moorthy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Familial Mediterranean Fever ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Psychiatric Symptoms ◽

Brief Symptom Inventory ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

Global Quality Of Life ◽

Mediterranean Fever

Abstract Purpose: To describe the relation between global Quality of Life (QL) and psychiatric symptoms in adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), and to analyze the perceptions of parents and adolescents. Methods: This study included 51 adolescents diagnosed with SLE (n=25) and FMF (n=26), and 51 healthy adolescents. The Health Related QL (HRQL) of SLE patients was rated by parents and adolescents using the Simple Measurement of Impact of Lupus Erythematosus in Youngsters© (SMILEY©). The global QL of FMF patients and healthy adolescents was rated by the response given to the first question of the SMILEY© by each parent and adolescent. All participants completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), which measures psychiatric symptoms. Results: In total, 92.3% with FMF, 56% with SLE and 76.5% of healthy adolescents reported their global QL as good and very good using the first question of the SMILEY©. The global QL perceptions of adolescents and their parents did not correlate (FMF, p=0.94; SLE, p=0.16). SLE patients had the highest rate of depression (54.2%), whereas hostility was detected among 54.9% of healthy adolescents. Significant relations were detected between BSI and SMILEY© scores. Conclusion: The global QL perceptions of adolescents with FMF were better than those of healthy adolescents, which may be explained by their perceived relief of anguish they suffer during their short-lived attacks. The global QL perceptions of adolescents with SLE were the worst, most probably due to the chronic course resulting in an awareness of limitations and intense treatment. Adolescents with SLE had similar psychopathological symptom scores when compared with FMF patients and healthy adolescents. This could be explained by developing resilience. Differences in the perception of adolescents versus their parents regarding global QL emphasized the importance of adolescent-specific interviews for chronic illnesses and multidisciplinary follow-up with adolescent medicine.

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Coexistence of systemic lupus erythematosus and familial Mediterranean fever

Lupus ◽

10.1177/0961203315580874 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 24 (9) ◽

pp. 1006-1006

Author(s):

E D Batu ◽

S Ozen

Keyword(s):

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Familial Mediterranean Fever ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

Mediterranean Fever

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Familial Mediterranean fever gene (MEFV) mutations as a modifier of systemic lupus erythematosus

Lupus ◽

10.1177/0961203312441048 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 21 (9) ◽

pp. 993-998 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Y Shinar ◽

E Kosach ◽

P Langevitz ◽

G Zandman-Goddard ◽

R Pauzner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Familial Mediterranean Fever ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Activity Index ◽

Mefv Gene ◽

Damage Index ◽

Mefv Mutation ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

Mutation Carriers ◽

Mediterranean Fever

The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of the Mediterranean FeVer ( MEFV) gene mutations in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and their effect on organ involvement, as well as disease activity and severity. The frequencies of three familial Mediterranean fever-related MEFV gene mutations ( M694V, V726A and E148Q) were investigated in 70 SLE patients. Organ involvement, Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) damage index and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) scores were correlated with mutation carriage. Eleven of 70 patients (15.7%) were found to carry an MEFV mutation. A single patient harbored two mutations, E148Q and V726A, without overt familial Mediterranean fever while the rest were heterozygous carriers. Four of the 11 carried an M694V mutation, four carried V726A and two carried E148Q. The majority of MEFV mutation carriers were Sephardic while non-carriers were mainly of Ashkenazi origin (72.7% vs. 45.7% and 47.4% vs. 9.1%, respectively, p = 0.02). SLE onset was significantly earlier in MEFV carriers (27.6 ± 9.7 vs. 38.2 ± 15.5 years, in carriers vs. non-carriers, p = 0.02). Hematologic and serologic parameters were comparable among mutation carriers and non-carriers. Febrile episodes were more common among MEFV mutation carriers (45.4% vs. 15.2%, p = 0.035) and there was a trend for excess episodes of pleuritis as well (54.5% vs. 23.7%, p = 0.06 in carriers vs. non-carriers, respectively). The frequency of secondary anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome was equivalent among the groups. Conversely, compound urinary abnormalities and renal failure was not observed among MEFV carriers yet was present in 33.4% and 18.6% of non-carriers ( p = 0.027 and 0.19, respectively). SLICC damage index and SLEDAI activity index did not differ significantly between the groups. MEFV mutation carriage appears to modify the SLE disease phenotype in that it contributes to an excess of inflammatory manifestations such as fever and pleuritis on the one hand, while thwarting more severe renal involvement on the other.

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