title: Familial Mediterranean fever responds well to infliximab: single case experience.
abstract: The most common arthritic involvement in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is acute recurrent monoarthritis; however, sometimes spondyloarthropathy-like findings or typical ankylosing spondylitis may also ensue. Reported here is our favorable experience with infliximab in an FMF patient who had been resistant to colchicine and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (sulfasalazine and methotrexate) treatments. A 72-week follow-up of the patient yielded complete remission of the febrile abdominal episodes, and spondylitis responded well. The patient's bilateral aseptic necrosis of the femoral head deteriorated and caused hip pain, discomfort, and disability. Overall, we believe that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha has an important role in the disease pathogenesis and also that anti-TNF may represent a promising robust treatment alternative in FMF.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey. sozgocmen@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozgocmen
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ozçakar
authors.forename: Ozge
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ardicoglu
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kocakoc
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Adem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005271:Femur Head Necrosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013131:Spine / Q000473:pathology; D013166:Spondylitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab