One hundred and sixty two adult patients with FMF, diagnosed in accordance with Tel-Hashomer criteria
17, were registered in the computer files of our departments. Thirty five adult patients with FMF without exclusion criteria were invited to participate. None of the patients refused the study. Thirty five subjects who were the healthy participants who had undergone the check-up program were used as the control group. The controls had similar body mass index (BMI), age, and sex distribution as the FMF group. They underwent a routine physical and laboratory evaluation to ascertain that they had no exclusion criteria. All subjects gave their informed consent to participate in the study.
Clinical and laboratory assessment of FMF patients were performed during an attack-free period. All FMF patients were on colchicine treatment. Colchicine was given orally in one or two daily doses, the total daily dosage ranging from 1.0–2.0 mg. Our FMF patients were in partial remission (defined as significant decrease of attack frequency, duration or intensity).
Exclusion criteria for entry into the study were, sustained hypertension [antihypertensive (present or past) drug use or detection of systolic pressure higher than 140 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure higher than 90 mmHg on three separate occasions], diabetes mellitus [antidiabetic (present or past) drug use or fasting glucose ≥ 126 mg/dl on two separate occasions], obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²), smoking, alcohol consumption, hyperlipidemia, cardiac, renal, and other systemic diseases, recent major surgery or illness, and patients on drugs affecting platelet function (e.g. aspi-rin, warfarin or heparin). Hyperlipidemia was defined in presence of at least one of following conditions; raised plasma triglycerides (>200 mg/dl), total cholesterol (>200 mg/dl), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C >130 mg/dl). Blood pressure was measured by using sphygmomanometer after 5 min of rest in the sitting position. Body weight (kg) and height (m) were measured with the patient in light clothes. The BMI was calculated as the weight (kg)/height squared (m)2.
Laboratory Investigations
Blood samples were drawn after a fasting period of 12 hr. Enzymatic colorimetric assay method (Roche Diagnostic GmbH, Mannheim, Germany) was used to measure triglyceride, cholesterol and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels. Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol level was calculated according to the Friedewald formula. Fasting plasma glucose level was measured by enzimatic colorimetric assay method (GLU, Roche Diagnostic GmbH, Mannheim, Germany).
Measurement of vWf
Plasma vWf levels were measured quantitatively by STA-LIATEST [(Diagnostica Stago (France)]. All of the samples measured were done at the same run.
Measurement of MPV
We measured MPV in a blood sample collected in citrate (1: 4 v/v) in order to avoid the platelet swelling induced by EDTA, and analysed within 1 hour. A Cell-Dyn 3500 (abbot) was used for whole blood counts.
Statistical analysis
SPSS 10.0 for Windows was used for the statistical analysis. For α=0.05 (between each group) and power=80%, a simple size per group >27 subjects was needed to detect an actual difference. Two-group com-parisons (FMF vs. control) were performed with inde-pendent t-tests. Correlation between levels of vWf and MPV were assessed using Pearson's correlation analysis. Data were expressed as the mean ± SD. A value of p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.