Factors Affecting Colchicine Adherence in Pediatric Familial Mediterranean Fever

INTRODUCTION: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most frequent monogenetic autoinflammatory disorder. It is characterized by fever and serositis. The first line treatment of FMF is colchicine. Adherence to colchicine is one of the main factors affecting colchicine response. In this study, we aimed to evaluate drug adherence in children with FMF using the Medication Adherence Scale in FMF (MASIF). We also assessed the clinical characteristics of drug-adherent patients and factors affecting drug adherence.
METHODS: Eighty-two children with FMF under colchicine therapy were included in this cross-sectional observational study. The patients were divided into two groups according to medication adherence and compared according to their demographic and clinical data.
RESULTS: According to MASIF, 31 (38%) patients had non-adherence to colchicine. There was a significant difference between the colchicine-adherent and non-adherent groups in terms of age, disease severity according to the International Severity Score for FMF, attack rate, colchicine dosage, M694V homozygosity, and family type (p = 0.005, p = 0.04, p = 0.025, p = 0.045, p = 0.04, and p = 0.046, respectively).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Patients with FMF should be questioned about their medication adherence at every visit, and children with a high risk of colchicine non-adherence should be followed up more closely.