title: The evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness in children with familial Mediterranean fever.
abstract: The aim is to investigate whether pediatric familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) patients have an increased risk of premature atherosclerosis and to determine the possible strength of association between atherosclerosis and Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene mutation gene type. Demographic characteristics and MEFV mutations were defined in 49 children diagnosed with FMF (26 female, 23 male; mean age, 10.71 +/- 3.69 years). Twenty-six age-, sex-, and body-mass-index-matched healthy children constituted the control group. We evaluated the blood counts and acute-phase proteins during attack-free periods. Mean C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid-A (SAA), homocysteine (Hcy), lipoprotein-a (Lp-a), and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) were 10.75 +/- 15.29 vs 4.03 +/- 1.20, 23.22 +/- 41.94 vs 3.53 +/- 1.04, 10.36 +/- 3.36 vs 8.64 +/- 3.15, 20.84 +/- 23.89 vs 8.56 +/- 7.48, and 0.038 +/- 0.007 vs 0.032 +/- 0.004, respectively, and significantly higher than the mean values of control group (p < 0.05). However, no correlation was found between CCA-IMT and CRP, SAA, Hcy, and Lp-a. Twenty-nine patients had M694V mutation, and 13 patients had other mutations. There was no correlation between CCA-IMT and MEFV mutation subgroups. In conclusion, because of the nature of the disease, FMF patients should be considered to have an increased risk of early vascular alteration and atherosclerosis. For this reason, CCA-IMT measurement can be recommended as a noninvasive and early diagnostic method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Meram Medical Faculty, Selcuk University, 42080 Konya, Turkey. peruharun@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Harun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peru
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Altun
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doğan
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.forename: Ahmet Midhat
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Elmaci
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oran
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D006710:Homocysteine; D002097:C-Reactive Protein