Familial Mediterranean fever may actually be a persistent inflammatory process on vascular endothelium all over the body

Abstract

Background: We tried to understand whether or not there is a persistent inflammatory process in Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). Methods: Consecutive patients with the FMF and controls were studied. Results: The study included 39 patients with the FMF (18 females) and 39 controls. Mean age of the FMF patients was 27.5 ± 11.9 (11-58) years. Although the body weight and body mass index (BMI) were retarded in the FMF patients (64.6 versus 71.7 kg and 24.1 versus 25.7 kg/m2, respectively), the differences were nonsignificant probably due to the small sample size of the study (p>0.05). The mean body heights were similar in both groups (163.4 versus 166.8 cm, p>0.05). As negative acute phase reactants (APR), low density lipoproteins (LDL) (99.0 versus 114.3 mg/dL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL) (37.5 versus 44.5 mg/dL) were suppressed whereas triglycerides (TG) increased (110.2 versus 105.1 mg/dL) as positive APR, but the differences were nonsignificant probably due to the small sample size of the study, again (p>0.05). On the other hand, systolic blood pressures (BP) (115.0 versus 124.8 mmHg, p= 0.047) and diastolic BP (79.2 versus 88.9 mmHg, p= 0.001) were suppressed parallel to the suppressed body weight and BMI, significantly. Conclusion: Although the FMF is described as intermittent attacks of painful inflammation, probably there is a persistent vascular endothelial inflammation all over the body. The suppressed body weight, BMI, LDL, HDL, and systolic and diastolic BP and the increased TG levels probably play roles of positive and negative APR in the systemic inflammatory process. Key words: Familial Mediterranean fever, chronic endothelial damage, atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, acute phase reactants, triglycerides, blood pressure.