Classification criteria for autoinflammatory recurrent fevers.

BACKGROUND: Different diagnostic and classification criteria are available for hereditary recurrent fevers (HRF)-familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic fever syndrome (TRAPS), mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD) and cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS)-and for the non-hereditary, periodic fever, aphthosis, pharyngitis and adenitis (PFAPA). We aimed to develop and validate new evidence-based classification criteria for HRF/PFAPA. METHODS: Step 1: selection of clinical, laboratory and genetic candidate variables; step 2: classification of 360 random patients from the Eurofever Registry by a panel of 25 clinicians and 8 geneticists blinded to patients' diagnosis (consensus ≥80%); step 3: statistical analysis for the selection of the best candidate classification criteria; step 4: nominal group technique consensus conference with 33 panellists for the discussion and selection of the final classification criteria; step 5: cross-sectional validation of the novel criteria. RESULTS: The panellists achieved consensus to classify 281 of 360 (78%) patients (32 CAPS, 36 FMF, 56 MKD, 37 PFAPA, 39 TRAPS, 81 undefined recurrent fever). Consensus was reached for two sets of criteria for each HRF, one including genetic and clinical variables, the other with clinical variables only, plus new criteria for PFAPA. The four HRF criteria demonstrated sensitivity of 0.94-1 and specificity of 0.95-1; for PFAPA, criteria sensitivity and specificity were 0.97 and 0.93, respectively. Validation of these criteria in an independent data set of 1018 patients shows a high accuracy (from 0.81 to 0.98). CONCLUSION: Eurofever proposes a novel set of validated classification criteria for HRF and PFAPA with high sensitivity and specificity.

Other autoinflammatory disease genes in an FMF-prevalent population: a homozygous MVK mutation and a novel heterozygous TNFRSF1A mutation in two different Turkish families with clinical FMF.

OBJECTIVES: No MEFV mutations are detected in approximately 10% of the patients with clinical FMF in populations where the disease is highly prevalent. Causative mutations were searched in other genes in two such families with "MEFV negative clinical FMF". METHODS: Father and daughter of family A had attacks of fever, abdominal pain and AA amyloidosis. The two sibs of family B complained of febrile episodes with abdominal pain and arthritis. The patients were clinically investigated. Exome analysis in the daughter in family A and linkage analysis and candidate gene sequencing for the members of family B were performed. All patients were re-evaluated in the light of the genetic findings. RESULTS: In the daughter in family A, filtering of the exome file for variants in 25 autoimmune/inflammatory disease-related genes revealed two heterozygous missense variants in TNFRSF1A, novel p.Cys72Phe and frequent p.Arg121Gln. In family B, novel, homozygous missense p.Cys161Arg in MVK was identified. A clinical re-evaluation of the patients revealed a phenotype consistent with FMF rather than TRAPS in family A and an overlap of FMF with HIDS in family B. CONCLUSIONS: In high risk populations of FMF a proportion of patients without MEFV mutations may carry causative mutations in other genes, and the clinical findings may not be fully consistent with the phenotype expected of the mutation identified but rather resemble FMF or an overlap syndrome.

International Retrospective Chart Review of Treatment Patterns in Severe Familial Mediterranean Fever, Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Periodic Syndrome, and Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency/Hyperimmunoglobulinemia D Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Periodic fever syndrome (PFS) conditions are characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and localized inflammation. This study examined the diagnostic pathway and treatments at tertiary centers for familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), and mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD)/hyperimmunoglobulinemia D syndrome (HIDS). METHODS: PFS specialists at medical centers in the US, the European Union, and the eastern Mediterranean participated in a retrospective chart review, providing de-identified data in an electronic case report form. Patients were treated between 2008 and 2012, with at least 1 year of followup; all had clinical and/or genetically proven disease and were on/eligible for biologic treatment. RESULTS: A total of 134 patients were analyzed: FMF (n = 49), TRAPS (n = 47), and MKD/HIDS (n = 38). Fever was commonly reported as severe across all indications. Other frequently reported severe symptoms were serositis for FMF patients and elevated acute-phase reactants and gastrointestinal upset for TRAPS and MKD/HIDS. A long delay from disease onset to diagnosis was seen within TRAPS and MKD/HIDS (5.8 and 7.1 years, respectively) compared to a 1.8-year delay in FMF patients. An equal proportion of TRAPS patients first received anti-interleukin-1 (anti-IL-1) and anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) biologic agents, whereas IL-1 blockade was the main choice for FMF patients resistant to colchicine and MKD/HIDS patients. For TRAPS patients, treatment with anakinra versus anti-TNF treatments as first biologic agent resulted in significantly higher clinical and biochemical responses (P = 0.03 and P < 0.01, respectively). No significant differences in responses were observed between biologic agents among other cohorts. CONCLUSION: Referral patterns and diagnostic delays highlight the need for greater awareness and improved diagnostics for PFS. This real-world treatment assessment supports the need for further refinement of treatment practices.

Natural history of mevalonate kinase deficiency: a literature review.

Mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD), a very rare autosomal recessive autoinflammatory disease with multiple organ involvement, presents clinically as hyperimmunoglobulinemia D syndrome (HIDS), a less severe phenotype and more common form, and mevalonic aciduria (MVA), a more severe phenotype and rare form. MKD is characterized by recurrent febrile attacks that are frequently accompanied by lymphadenopathy, gastrointestinal symptoms, arthralgia, myalgia, skin rash, and aphthous ulcers. Patients with MVA also have intrauterine growth retardation, congenital defects (cataracts, shortened limbs, and dysmorphic craniofacial features), neurological disease, and failure to thrive. Mean age at onset of symptoms is within the first year of life. There is a delay by several years between symptom onset and diagnosis, which is in part attributable to the initial misdiagnosis due to the rarity and nonspecific clinical manifestations of disease. The frequency of recurrent febrile attacks is highest in childhood and gradually decreases after adolescence. MKD is associated with rare long-term complications such as type AA amyloidosis, joint contractures, abdominal adhesions, renal angiomyolipoma, and severe pneumococcal infections. Frequent febrile attacks significantly impair several aspects of patients' and caregivers' quality of life, with an adverse impact on patients' daily activities, education, and employment. Lifespan is generally normal for HIDS whereas MVA can be fatal in early childhood.

Observational Study of a French and Belgian Multicenter Cohort of 23 Patients Diagnosed in Adulthood With Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency.

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and biological features of Mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD) in patients diagnosed in adulthood. This is a French and Belgian observational retrospective study from 2000 to 2014. To constitute the cohort, we cross-check the genetic and biochemical databases. The clinical, enzymatic, and genetic data were gathered from medical records. Twenty-three patients were analyzed. The mean age at diagnosis was 40 years, with a mean age at onset of symptoms of 3 years. All symptomatic patients had fever. Febrile attacks were mostly associated with arthralgia (90.9%); lymphadenopathy, abdominal pain, and skin lesions (86.4%); pharyngitis (63.6%); cough (59.1%); diarrhea, and hepatosplenomegaly (50.0%). Seven patients had psychiatric symptoms (31.8%). One patient developed recurrent seizures. Three patients experienced renal involvement (13.6%). Two patients had angiomyolipoma (9.1%). All but one tested patients had elevated serum immunoglobulin (Ig) D level. Twenty-one patients had genetic diagnosis; most of them were compound heterozygote (76.2%). p.Val377Ile was the most prevalent mutation. Structural articular damages and systemic AA amyloidosis were the 2 most serious complications. More than 65% of patients displayed decrease in severity and frequency of attacks with increasing age, but only 35% achieved remission. MKD diagnosed in adulthood shared clinical and genetic features with classical pediatric disease. An elevated IgD concentration is a good marker for MKD in adults. Despite a decrease of severity and frequency of attacks with age, only one-third of patients achieved spontaneous remission.

Treatment of autoinflammatory diseases: results from the Eurofever Registry and a literature review.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the response to treatment of autoinflammatory diseases from an international registry and an up-to-date literature review. METHODS: The response to treatment was studied in a web-based registry in which clinical information on anonymised patients with autoinflammatory diseases was collected retrospectively as part of the Eurofever initiative. Participating hospitals included paediatric rheumatology centres of the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trial Organisation network and adult centres with a specific interest in autoinflammatory diseases. The following diseases were included: familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD), pyogenic arthritis pustulosis acne (PAPA) syndrome, deficiency of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (DIRA), NLRP12-related periodic fever and periodic fever aphthosis pharyngitis adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome. Cases were independently validated by experts for each disease. A literature search regarding treatment of the abovementioned diseases was also performed using Medline and Embase. RESULTS: 22 months from the beginning of the enrolment, complete information on 496 validated patients was available. Data from the registry in combination with evidence from the literature confirmed that colchicine is the treatment of choice for FMF and IL-1 blockade for DIRA and CAPS. Corticosteroids on demand probably represent a valid therapeutic strategy for PFAPA, but also for MKD and TRAPS. Patients with poorly controlled MKD, TRAPS, PAPA or FMF may benefit from IL-1 blockade; anti-TNF treatment may represent a possible valuable alternative. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of high-grade evidence, these results could serve as a basis for therapeutic guidelines and to identify candidate drugs for future therapeutic trials.