The impact of COVID-19 on familial Mediterranean fever: a nationwide study

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and to assess the relationships between FMF characteristics and severe COVID-19 outcomes such as hospitalization. The study was planned within a national network of 21 different centers. Demographics, FMF-related clinical and genetic characteristics, and COVID-19 outcomes were obtained. A total of 822 patients with FMF (mean age of 36 years) were included in the study. Fifty-nine of them (7%) had a COVID-19 diagnosis confirmed by real-time PCR test or chest CT findings. Most FMF patients with COVID-19 (58) had mild and moderate disease activity. All patients were on colchicine treatment. However, 8 of them (13.6%) were not compliant with colchicine use and 9 of them (15.3%) were colchicine resistant. Twelve FMF patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized. There were 4 patients requiring oxygen support. COVID-19 related complications were observed in 2 patients (1 thromboembolism, 1 acute respiratory distress syndrome). Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with FMF were older than non-hospitalized patients (median ages: 51 and 31 years, respectively; p: 0.002). Other FMF-related characteristics were similar between the groups. FMF-related characteristics were not found to be associated with poor outcomes in COVID-19. Thus, FMF may not be a risk factor for poor COVID-19 outcomes. Keywords COVID-19 • Familial Mediterranean fever • Rheumatic diseases • Colchicine • Hospitalization • Poor outcomes Abbreviations CT Computerized tomography COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 DMARD Disease modifying antirheumatic drug FMF Familial Mediterranean fever IL-1 Interleukin-1 NLRP3 NOD-, LRR-and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 RCT Randomized controlled trial RT-PCR Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction SARS-CoV-2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 TNF Tumor necrosis factor Rheumatology INTERNATIONAL

Long COVID: rheumatologic/musculoskeletal symptoms in hospitalized COVID-19 survivors at 3 and 6 months

“…Since the emergence in the late of 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread across the world leading an unexpected, large, and serious global pandemic [1][2][3][4][5]. By the 5th of July 2021, 182,319,261 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), involving 3,954,324 deaths, have been identified worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO) [6].…”

COVID-19 in familial Mediterranean fever: Clinical course and complications related to primary disease

“…Similarly, the multicenter study including 59 FMF patients with COVID-19 reported 20% hospitalization, 6.7% oxygen support, and 3.4% complication rate. Older age was found to be associated with COVID-19-related hospitalization, while FMF-related features were not related to worse outcomes [ 23 ]. A recent study revealed that the incidence of hospitalization and disease outcomes in FMF inpatients were not different from that of non-FMF inpatients [ 24 ].…”

Conventional and novel therapeutic options in children with familial Mediterranean fever: A rare autoinflammatory disease

“…FMF does not seem to be a risk factor for poor COVID-19 outcomes and, recently, COVID-19 clinical course has been reported as milder in FMF patients. 132,133 This finding may be partially explained by the FMF therapy. In addition, both colchicine and IL-1 inhibitors treatments have recently been proposed for off-label use in COVID-19 patients.…”

“…The recent and ongoing SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic has greatly impacted on the management of rheumatic diseases, including FMF. FMF does not seem to be a risk factor for poor COVID‐19 outcomes and, recently, COVID‐19 clinical course has been reported as milder in FMF patients 132,133 . This finding may be partially explained by the FMF therapy.…”