Application of the new pediatric criteria and Tel Hashomer criteria in heterozygous patients with clinical features of FMF

Uveitis Associated with Monogenic Autoinflammatory Syndromes in Children

Monogenic autoinflammatory syndromes (MAISs), are caused by pathogenic genetic variants in the innate immune system, leading to dysregulation and aberrant inflammasome activation spontaneously or with minimal triggering. The diagnosis and treatment of MAISs can be intricate, relying on an increased recognition of potential differential diagnoses. This review examines the clinical features of MAIS, with a special focus on uveitis. It also evaluates treatment options and assesses the effects of activating molecular and cytokine pathways.

Comparison of diagnostic criteria for children with familial Mediterranean fever

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disease characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and serositis. Diagnosis is made according to clinical findings and supported by genetic analysis. The most commonly used adult diagnostic criteria are the Tel-Hashomer criteria. Pediatric criteria for FMF diagnosis were described in 2009, but their reliability should be supported by additional reports. In this study, we aimed to compare the pediatric criteria and the Tel-Hashomer and 2019 Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria using our FMF cohort. A total of 113 patients diagnosed with FMF were included. Demographic features and laboratory findings were retrospectively collected from the patients' files. The patients were evaluated with the Tel-Hashomer, pediatric and Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria. At least two of five new pediatric criteria were as sensitive (89%) and specific (85%) as the Tel-Hashomer criteria (sensitivity 70%, specificity 96%). We also evaluated the Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria using our cohort and found a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 91%.   Conclusion: Using pediatric criteria for the diagnosis of FMF in children is a feasible and simple approach that can diagnose the disease based on at least two criteria. Therefore, our study supports the use of pediatric criteria in FMF diagnosis of children. Our results also confirm that the Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria can be successfully applied for the diagnosis of FMF due to their high sensitivity (94%) and specificity (91%). What is Known: • The FMF diagnosis is made according clinical findings and supported by genetic analysis. • The use of adult diagnostic criteria in pediatric FMF patients is controversial since classical clinical presentation is often absent in children. What is New: • Our study supports both the use of pediatric criteria and Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria in clinical practice.

Familial Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis and Adenitis Syndrome; Is It a Separate Disease?

INTRODUCTION

Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, Adenitis (PFAPA) is the most common periodic fever syndrome in the pediatric population, yet its pathogenesis is unknown. PFAPA was believed to be sporadic but family clustering has been widely observed.

OBJECTIVE

To identify demographic and clinical differences between patients with PFAPA and a positive family history (FH+) as compared to those with no family history (FH-).

METHODS

In a database comprising demographic and clinical data of 273 pediatric PFAPA patients treated at two tertiary centers in Israel, 31 (14.3%) had FH+. Data from patients with FH+ were compared to data from those with FH-. Furthermore, family members (FMs) of those with FH+ were contacted via telephone for more demographic and clinical details.

RESULTS

The FH+ group as compared to the FH- group had more myalgia (56 vs. 19%, respectively, p = 0.001), headaches (32 vs. 2%, respectively, p = 0.016), and a higher carrier frequency of M694V mutation (54% vs. 25%, respectively, p = 0.05). Colchicine was seen to be a more beneficial treatment for the FH+ group as compared to the FH- group; however, with no statistical significance (p = 0.096). FMs displayed almost identical characteristics to patients in the FH+ group except for greater arthralgia during flares (64 vs. 23%, respectively, p = 0.008), and compared to the FH- group they had more oral aphthae (68 vs. 43%, respectively, p = 0.002), myalgia/arthralgia (64 vs. 19%/16%, respectively, p < 0.0001), and higher rates of FH of Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) (45 vs.15%, respectively, p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that patients with a FH+ likely experience a different subset of disease with higher frequency of family history of FMF, arthralgia, myalgia, and might have a better response to colchicine compared to FH-. Colchicine prophylaxis for PFAPA should be considered in FH+.

Performance of the new Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria in Familial Mediterranean fever patients with a single exon 10 mutation in childhood

The diagnosis of Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) based on clinical findings supported by genetic mutation. Recently, the new Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria including genetic analysis were established. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of the new criteria in FMF patients with a single exon 10 mutation in childhood. The study group consisted of FMF patients who had a single exon 10 mutation in a referral center in Turkey. Patients with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome were included as a control group. The medical charts of all patients were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 106 FMF patients (59 boys) were enrolled in the study group. The median age at first symptom was 5; the median age at diagnosis was 7 years. The mean follow-up was 33 ± 35.4 months. Majority of the patients (n = 58, 54.7%) had heterozygous M694V, 16 (15%) patients had M694V/E148Q and 13 (13.8%) patients had heterozygous M680I mutation. The sensitivity of the Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria was 98.1% and it was 97.1% for the Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria. The specificity of the new Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria was 96.7% and it was 74.1% for the Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria. The new Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria have a good sensitivity as the Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria in patients with a single exon 10 mutation. Additionaly, the new criteria have better specificity. It should be useful to apply the clinical only criteria where the carrier rate is high.

Familial Mediterranean Fever Complicated by a Triad of Adrenal Crisis: Amyloid Goiter and Cardiac Amyloidosis

Background

FMF is a common disease in the Mediterranean populations and may be complicated by AA amyloidosis. The coexistence of adrenal and thyroid amyloidosis in AA amyloidosis secondary to familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an extremely rare reported condition. We presented a previously unreported triad of adrenal, thyroid, and cardiac amyloidosis secondary to FMF. Presentation of Case. We reported a 23-year-old Palestinian male patient presented with hypotension, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. The patient was subsequently diagnosed to have an adrenal crisis with both amyloid goiter and cardiac amyloidosis.

Conclusion

It is crucial to recognize the adrenal crisis in patients with AA amyloidosis secondary to FMF who present similarly to acute FMF inflammatory episodes. The adrenal crisis has high morbidity and mortality, especially if not recognized early in the course of the disease.

Performance of the new 'Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria' in FMF patients

OBJECTIVE

Recently a new set of criteria proposed for the classification of auto inflammatory recurrent fevers including familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). We aimed to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the new Eurofever/PRINTO classification criteria with those of the Tel Hashomer and Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria.

METHODS

151 consecutive FMF patients between February and May 2019 who were followed at Hacettepe University Department of Pediatric Rheumatology were included in this study. A group of 82 patients with periodic fever 66 periodic fever, aphthosis, pharyngitis and adenitis syndrome (PFAPA), nine cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) and seven mevalonate kinase deficiency/hyperimmunoglobulin D syndrome (MKD/HIDS) patients) served as controls. GraphPad 6.0 was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Three different classification criteria were analyzed in 151 FMF patients with a median age at diagnosis of 5 years and in 82 controls with a median age at diagnosis of 3 years. The sensitivity of the new Eurofever/PRINTO criteria (96%) was highest (Tel Hashomer criteria-88.4% and Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria-93.4%). However, the specificity of these criteria (73.1%) was lowest (Tel Hashomer criteria-92.6% and Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria-84.1%). The new Eurofever/PRINTO criteria achieved the highest sensitivity (100%) in biallelic exon 10 mutation patients (Tel Hashomer criteria-87.4% and Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria-94.2%). However, the new set had the lowest sensitivity (88.2%) in heterozygote exon 10 mutation patients (Tel Hashomer criteria 94.1% and Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria 94.1%).

CONCLUSION

In this Turkish cohort, the new Eurofever/PRINTO criteria have a better sensitivity but lower specificity with higher misclassifications than other two well-known criteria. The combination of clinical manifestations with genotype increased the sensitivity. The lower specificity may be due to the high carrier rate in our population. Although the ethnicity information lowers the specificity, 'clinical-only' criteria set may still guide the clinician to perform appropriate genetic testing in patients with recurrent fever.

Familial Mediterranean Fever in Chinese Children: A Case Series

Background: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an inherited auto-inflammatory disorder and is extremely rare in Chinese. This study aimed to investigate the demographic, clinical, and genetic features of FMF in a series of Chinese pediatric patients. Methods: This was a retrospective case series of children with recurrent febrile or inflammatory episodes and referred to the Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 06/2013 and 06/2018. All suspected patients were genetically diagnosed and met the Tel-Hashomer criteria for FMF. Demographic, clinical, genetic, and treatment characteristics were collected. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: Eleven patients were included (seven boys and four girls). The median age at the time of disease onset was 7.1 (range, 3-12) years, while the median age at diagnosis was 10.9 (range, 6-15) years. The median delay in diagnosis was 2.1 years (range, 6 months to 6.7 years). Fever (100%, 11/11) was the most common symptom, followed by joint pain (63.6%, 7/11), rash (54.5%, 6/11), abdominal pain (36.4%, 4/11), and oral ulcers (18.2%, 2/11), without evidence of amyloidosis. C-reactive protein (81.8%, 9/11) and erythrocyte sedimentation (90.9%, 10/11) were increased during attacks. All patients harbored one to five different MEFV mutations, with E148Q and L110P being the most frequent. A novel non-synonymous mutation F636Y in exon 10 was discovered. Favorable responses to colchicine was observed in all six treated patients. Conclusion: The most common variants in our study were E148Q and L110P. F636Y may found for the first time. Colchicine led to favorable responses in all treated patients.

Increased Frequency of MEFV Genes in Patients with Epigastric Pain Syndrome

Atypical clinical forms of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) can be misdiagnosed as therapy-resistant epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) for they share many of the same clinical features, such as abdominal pain. Thus, we aimed to determined the frequency of FMF in patients who were followed with a diagnosis of therapy-resistant EPS. Seventy-five patients with therapy-resistant EPS and 20 controls were involved in the study. To detect the FMF in patients with therapy-resistant EPS, Tel-Hashomer criteria, family history of FMF were researched and recorded. We performed performed MEFV gene analysis on all patients. Forty-three patients with EPS (57.3%) had MEFV gene mutations and the carrier rate was 30.0%. The most common MEFV gene alteration was R202Q (55.8%), followed by E148Q (16.2%), R761H (16.2%), V726A (9.3%), M680I (9.3%) and M694V (4.6%). Rarely seen mutations in the Turkish population were also identified: K695R (2.3%), L110P (2.3%) and G304R (2.3%). Eight patients with EPS were diagnosed with FMF and started on colchicine therapy. Three patients with compound heterozygosities for three mutations, two patients with compound heterozygosities for two mutations (K695R/ V726A and R202Q/ R761H), one patient with homozygous R202Q, one patient with heterozygous R202Q mutation and one patient with non- R202Q heterozygous mutation (G304R/-) had clinical FMF symptoms and were started on colchicine therapy. Patients who have therapy-resistant EPS should also be questioned about FMF, especially in high risk populations.

Bone Mineral Density in Egyptian Children with Familial Mediterranean Fever

BACKGROUND

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) has episodic or subclinical inflammation that may lead to a decrease in bone mineral density (BMD). The objective of this study was to assess BMD in Egyptian children with FMF on genetic basis.

METHODS

A cross sectional study included 45 FMF patients and 25 control children of both sexes in the age range between 3-16 years old. The patients were reclassified into two groups, namely group I(A) with 23 cases using colchicine for 1 month or less, and group I(B) with 22 cases using colchicine for more than 6 months. For both the patients and control groups, MEFV mutations were defined using molecular genetics technique and BMD was measured by DXA at the proximal femur and lumbar spines.

RESULTS

Four frequent gene mutations were found in the patient group E148Q (35.6%), V726A (33.3%), M680I (28.9%), and M694V (2.2%). There were also four heterozygous gene mutations in 40% of the control children. Patients receiving colchicine treatment for less than 1 month had highly significant lower values of BMD at the femur and lumbar spines than the control children (P=0.007, P<0.001). Patients receiving colchicine treatment for more than 6 months had improved values of BMD at femur compared with the control, but there were still significant differences between them in lumbar spine (P=0.036). There were insignificant effect of gene mutation type on BMD and the risk of osteopenia among the patients.

CONCLUSION

FMF had a significant effect on BMD. However, regular use of colchicine treatment improves this effect mainly at the femur.

Performance of Different Diagnostic Criteria for Familial Mediterranean Fever in Children with Periodic Fevers: Results from a Multicenter International Registry

OBJECTIVE

Our aims were to validate the pediatric diagnostic criteria in a large international registry and to compare them with the performance of previous criteria for the diagnosis of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF).

METHODS

Pediatric patients with FMF from the Eurofever registry were used for the validation of the existing criteria. The other periodic fevers served as controls: mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS), aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, adenitis syndrome (PFAPA), and undefined periodic fever from the same registry. The performances of Tel Hashomer, Livneh, and the Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria were assessed.

RESULTS

The FMF group included 339 patients. The control group consisted of 377 patients (53 TRAPS, 45 MKD, 32 CAPS, 160 PFAPA, 87 undefined periodic fevers). Patients with FMF were correctly diagnosed using the Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria with a sensitivity rate of 87.4% and a specificity rate of 40.7%. On the other hand, Tel Hashomer and Livneh criteria displayed a sensitivity of 45.0 and 77.3%, respectively. Both of the latter criteria displayed a better specificity than the Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria: 97.2 and 41.1% for the Tel Hashomer and Livneh criteria, respectively. The overall accuracy for the Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria was 65 and 69.6% (using 2 and 3 criteria), respectively. Ethnicity and residence had no effect on the performance of the Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria.

CONCLUSION

The Yalcinkaya-Ozen criteria yielded a better sensitivity than the other criteria in this international cohort of patients and thus can be used as a tool for FMF diagnosis in pediatric patients from either the European or eastern Mediterranean region. However, the specificity was lower than the previously suggested adult criteria.

The role of IL-4 gene 70 bp VNTR and ACE gene I/D variants in Familial Mediterranean fever

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and inflammation in the peritoneum, synovium, or pleura, accompanied by pain. It is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the MEFV (MEditerranean FeVer) gene. Patients with similar genotypes exhibit phenotypic diversity. As a result, the variations in different genes could be responsible for the clinical findings of this disease. In previous studies genes encoding Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) and IL-4 (Interleukin-4) were found to be associated with rheumatologic and autoimmune diseases. In the present study we hypothesized whether ACE I/D or IL-4 70 bp variable tandem repeats (VNTR) genes are associated with FMF and its clinical findings in Turkish patients. Genomic DNA obtained from 670 persons (339 patients with FMF and 331 healthy controls) was used in the study. Genotypes for an ACE gene I/D polymorphism and IL-4 gene 70 bp VNTR were determined by polymerase chain reaction with specific primers. To our knowledge, this is the first study examining ACE gene I/D polymorphism and IL-4 gene 70 bp VNTR polymorphism in FMF patients. As a result, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups with respect to genotype distribution (p<0.001). According to our results, ACE gene DD genotype was associated with an increased risk in FMF [p<0.001; OR (95%): 7.715 (4.503-13.22)]. When we examined ACE genotype frequencies according to the clinical characteristics, we found a statistically significant association between DD+ID genotype and fever (p=0.04). In addition IL-4 gene P1P1 genotype was associated with FMF (p<0.001). We propose that D allele or DD genotype of ACE gene and P1 allele or P1P1 genotype of IL-4 gene may be important molecular markers for susceptibility of FMF.

The frequency of Familial Mediterranean fever gene mutations and genotypes at Kirikkale and comparison with the mean of regional MEFV mutation frequency of Turkey

In this study we have retrospectively analysed the mutation spectrum of the 351 Familial Mediterranean fever patients referred to Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics Laboratory over a period of 5 years and compared them with Turkey's mean. We have found 11 different mutations, including rare mutations such as F479L, K695R, M680I(G/A) and 45 different genotypes showing the heterogeneity of MEFV mutations in Central Anatolia. The most three prevalent mutations were M694V (14.8%), E148Q (7.1%) and M680I(G/C) (4.1%) in accordance with the literature. We have also investigated R202Q in our routine molecular diagnosis. Mutation causing R202Q (c.605G > A) change was described as a frequent polymorphism and G allele was found in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with M694V. There are limited number of studies investigating R202Q, some of them implicate that its homozygote state is disease causing. We showed the high frequency of R202Q (23.7%) with and without M694V in all the groups analysed and its high LD rate with M694V in the diagnosed group. Our study is reflecting the mutational heterogeneity of MEFV and summarize mutational spectrum of Turkey's geographical regions and overall Turkey.