The evaluation of depression and anxiety levels of mothers of patients with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and adenitis syndrome and familial Mediterranean fever.

OBJECTIVE: Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) are autoinflammatory disorders typically characterized by recurrent fever attacks. These recurrent fever attacks can lead to depression and anxiety in mothers of these patients. This study aimed to compare the depression and anxiety levels in mothers of PFAPA and FMF patients. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional observational study. 48 mothers of children with FMF and 70 mothers of children with PFAPA participated in the study. Mothers in these two groups were compared in terms of anxiety and depression by using the validated Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). RESULTS: Depression and anxiety scores of mothers were found to be similar in FMF and PFAPA groups. Moderate or high level of anxiety was seen in 32% of mothers of patients with PFAPA and 27% of mothers of patients with FMF. 23% of mothers of patients with PFAPA were evaluated as having moderate or severe depression, and 18% of mothers of patients with FMF were evaluated as having moderate depression. There was no statistically significant difference between the duration, frequency of attacks, recurrent hospitalizations, sociodemographic characteristics, and inventory scores. CONCLUSION: Depression and anxiety scores of mothers with children diagnosed with FMF and PFAPA are similar. These two diseases affect families psychosocially at similar levels. It is important to provide psychosocial support to families.

The effect of canakinumab treatment on growth parameters in children with familial Mediterranean fever.

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of canakinumab on growth parameters in children with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). METHOD: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 946 pediatric FMF patients followed in our center, of whom 37 were treated with canakinumab for at least three doses. Patients were assessed for demographic, clinical, and genetic characteristics. Data of height and weight percentiles and Z scores were recorded before and after canakinumab treatment and compared. RESULTS: The study group comprised 37 FMF patients with treated canakinumab. The median age (IQR) at diagnosis and canakinumab initiation was 3.0 (2.0-4.3) years and 7.0 (3.6-10.1) years, respectively. The median weight scores and mean body mass index (BMI) values significantly increased after canakinumab treatment. There was no change in height scores following canakinumab treatment. CONCLUSION: Canakinumab treatment has improved off body weight and BMI parameters of FMF patients by controlling disease activity and inflammation. Key Points • To our knowledge, few studies in the literature evaluate the growth parameters of canakinumab treatment in FMF children. • Canakinumab treatment has been shown to affect body weight and BMI positively. • Long-term studies are needed for its effects on height.

OCT Evaluation of Retinal Parameters in Pediatric Gastritis Patients with Helicobacter Pylori.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection on choroidal thickness (CT), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, and ganglion cell (GCL+IPL) complex thickness in childhood cases of gastritis. METHODS: A total of 104 eyes of 52 children were included in the study. Two groups were created: 54 eyes of 27 H. pylori gastritis cases (Group 1) and 50 eyes of 25 gastritis without H. pylori cases (Group 2), as confirmed by an endoscopic biopsy. The mean subfoveal, submacular, and peripapillary CT, RNFL thickness, and GCL+IPL complex thickness was measured using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: The mean subfoveal CT values were significantly higher in Group 1 compared with Group 2 (p=0.042). The mean submacular CT and peripapillary CT measurements of the eyes in Group 1 was greater than that of Group 2, but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). There was also no statistically significant difference between the GCL+IPL complex or RNFL thickness values of the groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: H. pylori is a common gastrointestinal infectious agent with asymptomatic carriers in the population. The role of this agent in ocular pathologies in adult patients has been the subject of many recent studies, but secondary ocular findings in patients with H. pylori gastritis in childhood have not yet been investigated. The results of this study showed that the subfoveal CT value was significantly greater in children with H. pylori gastritis.