Autoantibodies in familial Mediterranean fever (recurrent polyserositis)

The presence of autoantibodies in our familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) patients was investigated using various immunological techniques. Immunofluorescence screening of 50 FMF sera revealed only one positive for antinuclear antibodies. ELISA assay and nitrocellulose filter assay revealed no difference between FMF sera and healthy controls with regard to the presence of anti-dsDNA antibodies. In Western blotting using HeLa cell extract, FMF patients' sera neither detected anti-Sm, RNP, SSA/Ro, SSB/La antibodies nor any new common band. These findings suggest that it is unlikely that FMF belongs to the family of the autoimmune 'collagen' diseases.