title: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and familial Mediterranean fever: are they related?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a periodic febrile disease characterized by acute recurrent episodes of serositis. Liver disease is not considered a part of the spectrum of clinical manifestations of FMF.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to characterize the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that could be associated with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical findings and treatment information of the patients with FMF were obtained from outpatient files. Weight, height, hip and waist circumference, blood pressure, blood C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fibrinogen, glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG), creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and insulin levels were determined in all subjects, and additionally liver ultrasonography was performed for signs of hepatosteatosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-two age and gender matched patients with FMF, and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the patient group was determined to be significantly higher in the patient group compared to the healthy group. When FMF patients with and without hepatosteatosis were compared, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was determined to be 6 vs. 3, respectively (p < 0.001). Eleven patients with FMF were found to have grade 1-2 hepatosteatosis, and only 6 of healthy subjects had grade 1 hepatoseatosis (p = 0.901).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When compared with healthy controls, we found the prevalence of NAFLD was not increased in patients with FMF.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Balikesir University School of Medicine, Balikesir,Turkey.
authors.forename: Cihat
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sarkis
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caglar
authors.forename: Serdal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ugurlu
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cetinkaya
authors.forename: Nilüfer
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tekin
authors.forename: Mubeccel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Sebati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuncer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease