Familial Mediterranean Fever: A Purine Metabolism Disorder

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an inherited disorder characterized by fever, abdominal and/or chest pain. The etiology and pathogenesis of the disease remain unknown. A large amount of amorphous urate excretion in urine was found in five FMF patients during acute episodes. Increased excretion of uric acid in the patients with FMF during acute episodes can lead to the thesis that FMF is an inherited disorder of purine metabolism.