Inflammatory reaction in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) before and with colchicine therapy.

The familial mediterranean fever (FMF) is an inherited, autosomal, recessive disorder which occurs predominantly but not exclusively in Sephardic Jews. It is characterized by a total increase of blood complement components, particularly C4, without any molecular anomaly and associated with an increase in other inflammatory proteins. With colchicine therapy, the symptomatology observed regresses or diminishes and onset of amyloidosis is prevented but the inflammatory and biochemical syndrome persists.