DOI: 10.26650/jchild.2026.1886520 ISSN: 1308-8491

Familial Mediterranean Fever and Atopic Diseases: A Pediatric Case-Control Study

Çağla Karavaizoğlu, Serkan Arslan, Nadira Nabiyeva Çelik, Muhammed Talha Karadoğan, Figen Çakmak, Hümeyra Akbaş, Damla İrkin, Eda Zeynep Arıkan, Kazım Okan Dolu, Pınar Gokmirza
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Background and Aim: Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disorder caused by mutations in the MEFV gene, leading to dysregulated inflammatory responses. Persistent immune activation in FMF may increase susceptibility to allergic diseases, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and atopic dermatitis (AD). This study aimed to compare the prevalence of allergic diseases and aeroallergen sensitization in children with FMF and age-matched healthy controls.Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study included 183 children with FMF who were in clinical remission and receiving regular colchicine therapy and 105 age-matched healthy controls. The FMF group consisted of 112 males (61.2%) and 71 females (38.8%). All participants were evaluated by pediatric allergy specialists. Diagnoses of asthma, AR, and AD were made according to current clinical guidelines. Aeroallergen sensitization was assessed using skin prick testing serum-specific IgE measurements. Demographic characteristics, eosinophil counts, total IgE levels, and use of anti-allergic medications were recorded.Results: The prevalence of asthma (41.8% vs. 25.0%; p = 0.002) and AR (53.0% vs. 35.0%; p<0.001) were more common in the FMF group, whereas AD prevalence did not differ. Aeroallergen sensitization rates (43.0% vs. 42.0%; p = 0.815), eosinophil counts, and total IgE levels were similar.Conclusion: Children with FMF have an increased prevalence of asthma and AR. Similar sensitization rates despite higher clinical allergic disease suggest that chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation beyond IgE-mediated mechanisms may contribute to this association.

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