National Protocol for Diagnosis and Care of Familial Mediterranean Fever

S. Georgin-Laviallea,h,∗, L. Saveya,h, L. Cuissetc, G. Boursiere,h, J.-J. Boffab,h,

M. Delplanquea,h, R. Bourguibaa,h, J.-B. Monfortd,h, I. Touitoue,h, G. Grateaua,h,

I. Kone-Pautf,h, V. Hentgeng,h, Collaborators1

Summary:

Familial Mediterranean Fever is the world's most common monogenic autoinflammatory disease. It mainly affects people from the Mediterranean region. The mutated gene is MEFV, which codes for pyrin. Transmission is autosomal recessive. Patients present with recurrent attacks of fever since childhood, associated with abdominal and/or thoracic pain lasting an average of 2 to 3 days, and a biological inflammatory syndrome. Other symptoms include arthralgia or arthritis of large joints such as the knees and ankles, myalgia of the lower limbs and pseudo-eryzipelas of the ankles. Its most severe complication is inflammatory amyloidosis, or AA amyloidosis, which can lead to renal failure. Treatment is based on colchicine, which helps prevent relapses and the onset of renal amyloidosis.

This work presents national recommendations for the diagnosis, management and follow-up of Familial Mediterranean Fever in France, where we estimate there are between 5,000 and 10,000 patients with the disease at all stages of life. Diagnosis is suspected on the basis of clinical and anamnestic elements, and confirmed by genetic analysis. These recommendations also propose a “treat-to-target” approach to disease treatment, particularly in cases of suspected colchicine resistance - a very rare situation that should remain a situation of elimination, particularly after verification of colchicine compliance. Two special situations are also addressed in these recommendations: renal failure and pregnancy.

​© 2023 Publié par Elsevier Masson SAS au nom de Société Nationale Franc¸ aise de Médecine Interne (SNFMI).

French recommandation for the diagnostic and care of FMF Rev Med int.pdf

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A20 Haploinsufficiency (HA20) is a monogenic autoinflammatory disease associated with an autosomal dominant mutation in the TNFAIP3 gene.: what does the clinician need to know?

I. Elhani a,b,∗, A. Aoubac, Q. Riller d, H. Vergneault e, G. Boursier f,g, F. Rieux-Laucat d, V. Hentgena, S. Georgin-Lavialle b,e,∗

A20 Haploinsufficiency (HA20) is a monogenic autoinflammatory disease associated with an autosomal dominant mutation in the TNFAIP3 gene. It induces a defect in the inactivation of the pro-inflammatory NF-B pathway. Less than 200 cases have been described worldwide. The clinical picture of the disease is essentially based on the association of recurrent fever and/or biologic inflammatory syndrome, aphtosis, often bipolar, and cutaneous folliculitis. However, the clinical spectrum of HA20 is very broad, including gastrointestinal (mainly colonic ulceration), articular, cutaneous, pericardial and lymph node involvement, as well as frequent association with organ-specific or non-specific autoimmune manifestations and/or autoantibodies, including antinuclear antibodies and anti-dsDNA. As a result, the diagnosis of a number of systemic or organic disorders, most notably Behc¸ et’s disease, Crohn’s disease, and sometimes even systemic lupus, has been corrected to HA20 by molecular research for a heterozygous mutation with functional deficiency of TNFAIP3. Although the first signs of the disease often appear in the first years of life, the diagnosis is often made in adulthood and requires the involvement of both paediatric and adult physicians. TreatmentforHA20 isnot codifiedandrelies onconventional or biologicalimmunomodulators and immunosuppressants adapted to the patient’s symptomatology. This review highlights the enormous diagnostic challenges in this autoinflammatory disease.

© 2023 Société Nationale Française de Médecine Interne (SNFMI). Publié par Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés.

Comparing clinical features between males and females with VEXAS syndrome: data from literature analysis of patient reports

Premier auteur: Echerbault et al.

Lien vers l'article: DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keae123

Abstract

Objectives: VEXAS syndrome is an autoinflammatory disease associated with a somatic mutation of the X-linked UBA1 gene in haematopoietic progenitor cells. This disorder was originally described as a disease affecting men, but rare cases of VEXAS syndrome in women have since been reported. The theoretical existence of phenotypic sex differences in this X-linked disease is debated. We compared the features of VEXAS syndrome between males and females to better understand this disorder and to improve its diagnostic accuracy in females.

Methods: From previously published clinical descriptions of VEXAS syndrome, we included studies that described patients with precise, individual VEXAS-related features. We formed a literature-based cohort of patients by collecting their clinical and biological data and compared the characteristics of male and female patients.

Results: We gathered 224 patient descriptions from 104 articles: 9 women and 215 men. Among the women, 1 had a constitutional 45,X karyotype and 4 had an acquired X monosomy in the bone marrow karyotype, while the marrow karyotype was not provided for the others. No difference was observed in the clinical or biological features according to sex. We also observed no difference in the type of UBA1 mutation or the association with myelodysplastic syndrome.

Conclusions: Our results supported the hypothesis that the UBA1 mutation should be sought under the same conditions in both sexes. As UBA1 is not subject to X-chromosome inactivation, VEXAS syndrome in females requires both UBA1 mutation and X monosomy, thus explaining the similarity between male and female VEXAS-related features and the lower prevalence of VEXAS syndrome in females.

VEXAS Syndrome.pdf

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