Mutations of the Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene, which encodes pyrin protein, leads to familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and a connection between MEFV mutations and rheumatic diseases has been suggested.
Familial Mediterranean fever (MEFV) is a typical periodic fever syndrome and MEFV gene mutations may contribute to the clinical features of certain rheumatic diseases.
It may be suggested for the aforementioned clinical associations that mutations/polymorphisms in the MEFV gene may well be susceptibility factors for the disease or a more severe course of the disease for a number of rheumatic diseases.