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Familial Mediterranean fever in the "Chuetas" of Mallorca--origin in inquisition?

J Buades1, E Ben-Chetrit, M Levy

  • 1Division of Medicine, Hospital Joan March, Mallorca, Spain.

Israel Journal of Medical Sciences
|August 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) presents similarly in Mallorcan Chuetas and Israeli non-Ashkenazi Jews. Both groups commonly experience joint involvement, suggesting a potential shared genetic defect for FMF.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Rheumatology
  • Population Health

Background:

  • Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a genetic autoinflammatory disorder.
  • Previous studies have documented FMF prevalence and characteristics in various ethnic groups.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the clinical and laboratory features of FMF in Mallorcan Chuetas and non-Ashkenazi Jews in Israel.
  • To investigate potential shared genetic origins for FMF in these distinct populations.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of clinical and laboratory data from 50 FMF patients (Chuetas) in Mallorca and 45 FMF patients (non-Ashkenazi Jews) in Israel.
  • Comparison of disease prevalence, clinical manifestations, and laboratory findings between the two groups.

Main Results:

  • FMF prevalence and clinical manifestations were similar between the Chuetas and the Israeli non-Ashkenazi Jewish group.
  • Joint involvement was a common feature in both groups, observed in 70% of Chuetas and 75% of Israelis.
  • This contrasts with the lower prevalence of joint involvement in other ethnic groups with FMF.

Conclusions:

  • The Mallorcan Chuetas and Israeli non-Ashkenazi Jews exhibit similar FMF characteristics, including a high rate of joint involvement.
  • A common gene defect for FMF may exist between these two populations, potentially linked to their shared Spanish ancestry.
  • Further genetic studies are warranted to confirm the shared genetic basis of FMF in these groups.

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