The relation between familial Mediterranean fever and amyloidosis

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most prevalent type of hereditary recurrent fever. Although the inflammatory attacks that characterize the d isease may sometimes be debilitating, reactive amyloidosis remains the most serious manifestation of FMF. Daily treatment with colchicine can prevent both the attacks and amyloid deposition, but FMF-associated amyloidosis has not been eradicated and is still a cause of chronic renal failure in child ren and adults. The discovery of the gene responsible for FMF, Mediterranea n fever gene (MEFV), and of associated mutations represents a major advance that now allows researchers to establish a strong, although nonexclusive a ssociation between one specific mutation, M694V, and the amyloid phenotype, (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.