Molecular-Genetic Aspects of Familial Mediterranean Fever and the Role of the Ethnic Factor in the Manifestation of This Disease in the Republic of Crimea
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/PPS.2026.31.70050Keywords
familial Mediterranean fever, monogenic disease, MEFV gene, pyrin proteinAbstract
The study and diagnosis of monogenic diseases is based on population analysis of the frequency of pathological genes. One of the rarest hereditary pathologies in the Russian Federation is Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). This monogenic disease is prevalent among Sephardic Jews, Turks, Arabs, Armenians, Italians, and peoples of the North Caucasus. It is characterized by recurrent short episodes of fever and serositis, resulting in abdominal pain, chest pain on inspiration, joint pain, muscle pain, and heel pain. Fever is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, erythematous spots on the extremities, and in males — swelling of the scrotum and penis. Neurological disorders may also develop. One of the main symptoms is amyloidosis, which, if untreated, can lead to renal failure. FMF results from mutations in the MEFV gene, located on the short arm of chromosome 16. It encodes the protein pyrin, which participates in immune defense. According to the 2021 All-Russian Population Census, the Republic of Crimea is home to 352,000 Crimean Tatars (14.1% of the total population, ranking 2nd among all nationalities), 41 Arabs, 7,717 Armenians, and 1,655 Jews — all potential carriers of this disease. Indeed, 17 cases of the disease have been recorded in the region (Zhogova O.V. et al., 2019). All patients identified themselves as Crimean Tatars.
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