The Familial Mediterranean Fever Gene — Cloned at Last

Familial Mediterranean fever is an inherited condition prevalent among people of the Near East — Arabs, Turks, Armenians, and Sephardic Jews. 1 Transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait, familial Mediterranean fever is characterized by sporadic episodes of acute inflammation of the pleural, peritoneal, and joint spaces and, occasionally, the pericardial space and the tunica vaginalis of the testis. These episodes usually last only a few days, but chronic arthritis develops in a few patients. There may be a painful, localized erysipelas-like rash that fades in a few days. Peritonitis due to familial Mediterranean fever resembles an acute abdomen, but laparotomy shows . . .