Health conditions of first-degree relatives of children with familial Mediterranean fever

Given the strong genetic background of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), the frequently reported co-existing diseases in children with FMF should also be investigated in other family members. [...]we aimed to examine the medical conditions of first-degree relatives (FDRs) of our pediatric patients with FMF in the present study. [...]M694V mutations were found to be significant indicators of a more severe disease course, earlier disease onset, colchicine resistance and amyloidosis.78 Although there are several studies evaluating the diseases of relatives of patients with JIA and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), there is no such data regarding FMF.9"11 Given the strong genetic background of FMF, the diseases that have been previously demonstrated as co-existing in children with FMF should also be investigated in other family members. [...]we aimed to examine the diseases of first-degree relatives (FDRs) of our pediatric patients with FMF in the present study. The diagnosis of FMF was established by Yalcinkaya et al. criteria2 and the diagnosis of JIA was done according to the International League of Associations for Rheumatology Classification of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.12 Selected disease groups Autoimmune diseases, atopic diseases, rheumatic diseases, malignancies, and surgical histories were thought to be closely linked to FMF or its treatment for various reasons, which will be discussed in detail further. [...]classification was performed for further analysis. Ethical approval This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Istanbul University-Cerrahpaga, Cerrahpaga Medical School (04/04/2018-127814).