Metabolic consequences and nailfold capillary changes in children with familial Mediterranean fever.

BACKGROUND

There's an increasing role of nailfold capillaroscopy in the evaluation of peripheral vascular disease in chronic inflammatory disorders. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is one such disorder, which raises concerns about increased cardiovascular risk, with scarce data available in children. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate insulin resistance, lipid profile, atherogenic indices, and nailfold capillary (NC) changes in children with FMF.

METHODS

Fifty-four children diagnosed with FMF were evaluated by measuring complete blood count, ESR, CRP, serum amyloid A (SAA), Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), lipid profile, and atherogenic indices, along with a nailfold capillaroscopic examination, both during acute attacks and attack-free periods.

RESULTS

During attack-free periods, patients exhibited higher total leucocytic counts, ESR, CRP, SAA, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol (TC), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), Castelli's risk index I (CRI I), and atherogenic coefficient (AC), and a lower hemoglobin level than controls. Additionally, the NC examination identified avascular areas in 14.8% of patients, tortuosities in 18.5%, enlargements in 14.8%, and microhemorrhages in 7.4%. These parameters showed significant increases during acute attacks. HOMA-IR showed positive correlations with TC, non-HDL-C, CRI I, and AC; however, NC changes were strongly connected with disease duration and SAA.

CONCLUSIONS

Insulin resistance, alterations in serum lipids and atherogenic indices, and NC changes significantly endure in children with FMF during attack-free periods compared to controls, with more prominence during acute attacks. These parameters are linked to subclinical vascular injury and elevated cardiovascular risk, so their monitoring is crucial in these patients for early detection and intervention.