Vitamin B12 levels in familial Mediterranean fever patients treated with colchicine.
OBJECTIVE
Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive autoinflammatory disease characterised by paroxysmal attacks of serosal inflammation. Colchicine is highly effective in preventing these attacks but it may also disrupt the intestinal absorption of vitamin B12. We hypothesised that patients treated with colchicine for a prolonged period could develop deficiency of the vitamin.


METHODS
Ninety-five adult FMF patients on regular colchicine treatment for at least 2 years and age and sex-matched 90 healthy controls were enrolled and complete blood count with platelets, vitamin B12 and folic acid were measured in each person. We also investigated 15 adult FMF patients who were not yet on colchicine.


RESULTS
The mean vitamin B12 values were not significantly different between the groups (352.12 (SD=171.62) pg/mL vs. 360.96 (SD=146.53) pg/mL, p=0.71), but there were significantly more vitamin B12 deficient cases among FMF patients (12 vs. 3; p=0.021) and 3 out of these 12 had megaloblastic anaemia. None of the vitamin B12 deficient controls had anaemia. We could not identify any disorder which might have causative effect for the deficiency among this subgroup. The mean vitamin B12 value of 15 colchicine-naïve cases was not significantly different from patients on colchicine (p=0.356).


CONCLUSIONS
We did not observe significant vitamin B12 deficiency among colchicine-treated FMF patients but some cases may be more prone to developing this potentially serious disorder.
Department of Hematology, Celal Bayar University School of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey. agemici21@yahoo.com.
Ali Ihsan
AI
Gemici
Ömür Gökmen
ÖG
Sevindik
Servet
S
Akar
Mehmet
M
Tunca
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003078:Colchicine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D014805:Vitamin B 12; D003078:Colchicine