The effect of colchicine on micronutrients in children with newly diagnosed familial Mediterranean fever.

OBJECTIVES

Colchicine is an essential component of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) treatment. It is suggested that it may affect vitamin B12 levels by affecting intestinal absorption. This research focused on examining the impact of colchicine therapy on anemia parameters, as well as levels of vitamin B12 and folate in patients who have recently been diagnosed with FMF.

METHOD: This prospective cohort investigation assessed children diagnosed with FMF between October 2016 and February 2017, evaluating anemia parameters as well as vitamin B12 and folate levels at baseline and at the third and sixth months of colchicine therapy. The demographic data were recorded from patient files.

RESULTS

Forty-six children were involved. M694V was the most common mutation. The most common clinical findings were fever (87%), peritonitis (76.1%), and pleuritis (23.9%). The mean hemoglobin (p 0.027), iron (p < 0.001) levels were significantly increased, while the mean ferritin (p 0.002), vitamin B12 (p < 0.001) and folate (p 0.001) levels were decreased at the 6th month of colchicine treatment.

CONCLUSION

Although it has been determined that the suppressive effect of colchicine on inflammation improves anemia by increasing hemoglobin levels, it should also be kept in mind that it may cause a decrease in the levels of other variables that can cause anemia, such as vitamin B12 and folate.