Pediatric Sciences Journal (Jul 2024)

Serum Calprotectin in Children with Familial Mediterranean Fever

  • Huda Marzouk,
  • Fatma Abdel Wahab Abdel Maksoud,
  • Weam Abdel Sadek Mahmoud,
  • Hend Mohamed Abu Shady

DOI
https://doi.org/10.21608/CUPSJ.2024.270280.1117
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 2
pp. 72 – 78

Abstract

Read online

Background: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most prevalent inherited autoinflammatory disease worldwide. Ongoing subclinical inflammation, induces amyloidosis, even during the attack-free periods despite colchicine therapy. Serum calprotectin (CLP) belongs to the S100 protein family and was proposed as an indicator of inflammation in several diseases. Aim of the work: To evaluate serum calprotectin (CLP) levels among children with FMF during the attack-free periods. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional case-control study included 35 children diagnosed with FMF in the attack-free period who were following at the Pediatric Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic, Children's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Cairo University, and 35 children as a control group. This study was conducted during November 2020 to April 2021. Serum CLP was measured by ELISA. Results: The mean ± SD age of our studied FMF cohort was 9.23 ± 2.6 years; 15 (42.9%) were males, and 20 (57.1%) were females compared to the mean ± SD age of the control group 9.0 ± 2.6, 21 (60%) were males, and 14 (40%) were females(p=0.665 and p=0.151 respectively). The range of serum calprotectin levels among our FMF patients during the attack-free period was (15.4-1306) ng/ml, while the range in the control group, its range was (0.2 - 77) ng/ml with mean± SD was 24.62±16.66 ng/ml, (p-value = 0.001). Of those with FMF 25 (71.4%) had normal level of CLP (mean± SD= 31.6± 9.2 and range=15.4 – 48.6 ng/ml) and 10 (28.6%) had elevated CLP (mean± SD= 296.79±442.33 and range= 55 – 1306 ng/ml). There were no significant correlations between serum CLP levels and FMF clinical presentations, disease severity scores, different laboratory data, or types of MEFV gene mutation p- values = 0.697, 0.696 and 0.146 respectively. Conclusion: Serum CLP levels were elevated in a subset of children with FMF during the attack-free period. Serum CLP did not correlate with any studied parameter. The specificity and sensitivity of diagnostic accuracy and outcome prognostic ability of CLP in FMF remain to be studied.

Keywords