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Markers for Subclinical Inflammation in Egyptian Children with Familial Mediterranean Fever: Splenomegaly and Mean Platelet Volume

Talaat HS, Sheba MF, Mohammed RH, Ibrahim MFM

Background: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an auto-inflammatory systemic disease, of an autosomal recessive inheritance, that is characterized by recurrent episodes of fever, peritonitis, pleuritis, pericarditis, and/or arthritis; MEFV is the responsible gene.

Aim: To detect the correlation of Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) and splenomegaly as subclinical inflammatory markers in children with FMF at the attack-free periods.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 40 pediatric patients diagnosed clinically and according to gene mutations already with FMF and were following-up at the Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic, Children's Hospital, Cairo University. Abdominal ultrasonography was done all patients to detect splenomegaly; MPV was measured as well.

Results: Patients was classified in two groups; group 1 (n=13) patients with splenomegaly and group 2 (n=27) patients with no splenomegaly. The MPV were significantly higher in group 1 (8.9 ± 0.9 fl) than in group 2 (8.3 ± 0.5 fl) (p<0.05).

Conclusion: MPV and splenomegaly could serve as markers of chronic inflammatory activity in FMF patients even during the attack-free period; these may be applied for chronic inflammatory markers that may be related to the prognosis and the possibility of development of amyloidosis.